Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd is entering the digital infrastructure sector with plans to develop a RM2.1 billion AI-ready data centre in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.
MRCB’s subsidiary Bukit Jalil Sentral Property Sdn Bhd has entered into a collaboration agreement with Perintis Akal Sdn Bhd for the proposed 65MW facility, which will be developed on land owned by Bukit Jalil Sentral Property.
The project will occupy a 37,320 sq m site and provide an estimated built-up area of approximately 46,000 sq m. It represents MRCB’s first data centre development and introduces a new form of commercial use within its Bukit Jalil landbank.
Perintis Akal, a subsidiary of PEMANDU Partners International PLT, is expected to become the long-term tenant and operator under a proposed ten-year lease. It will work with Inspur Communication Malaysia Sdn Bhd on the construction, commissioning, maintenance and operation of the facility.
The parties aim to finalise definitive agreements by the third quarter of 2026, with the complete data centre targeted for delivery by the fourth quarter of 2027.
A new use for MRCB’s Bukit Jalil land
The proposed facility changes how part of MRCB’s Bukit Jalil land will generate value.
Instead of developing the parcel solely for conventional residential, office or retail uses, the group plans to convert it into digital infrastructure supported by a long-term operating lease.
MRCB group managing director Datuk Imran Salim said the arrangement is intended to establish the group within the expanding high-performance computing and artificial intelligence ecosystem.
For MRCB, the commercial attraction extends beyond the project’s RM2.1 billion development cost. The proposed lease with Perintis Akal could provide recurring income over ten years while improving the productive value of the underlying land.
This differs from the usual property development model in which revenue is generated mainly through the progressive sale of residential or commercial units.
A leased data centre can function more like a long-term investment asset, provided the tenant remains financially capable, the facility performs to specification and demand for its computing capacity is sustained.
The project therefore gives MRCB exposure to both development activity and longer-term rental income.
Perintis Akal to become tenant and operator
The proposed structure separates land and development ownership from operational responsibility.
Bukit Jalil Sentral Property will contribute the project site and participate in the development, while Perintis Akal is expected to lease and operate the completed facility.
Perintis Akal will also partner Inspur Communication Malaysia for the technical delivery and ongoing operation of the data centre.
This structure can reduce MRCB’s need to build an entirely new in-house data centre operating platform. Data centres require specialised expertise in cooling, electricity distribution, security, network connectivity, equipment maintenance and service continuity.
However, the ten-year lease does not remove all commercial risk.
The strength of the arrangement will depend on the final rental terms, responsibilities for development expenditure, performance obligations, lease guarantees and the financial capacity of the operating parties.
The collaboration agreement is also only an initial step. The final rights and obligations will become clearer when the definitive agreements are signed.
Designed for a 65MW IT load
The Bukit Jalil facility is planned with 65MW of IT load capacity.
IT load refers broadly to the electricity used by computing equipment rather than the total electricity required by the entire building. The overall power requirement will be higher once cooling, backup systems, lighting and other operating infrastructure are included.
A 65MW facility represents a sizeable digital infrastructure project, particularly within an established Kuala Lumpur suburb rather than a more remote industrial campus.
MRCB said it has already received multiple expressions of interest for the planned capacity.
This is an encouraging early demand indicator, but expressions of interest are not the same as binding capacity commitments or completed leasing agreements.
The eventual commercial performance will depend on how much capacity is contracted, the quality of the customers and the time required to bring each phase into operation.
MRCB has also indicated that the interest may support further data centre developments on the remainder of its Bukit Jalil landbank.
Any expansion should still be assessed separately based on power availability, customer demand, infrastructure capacity and the suitability of surrounding land uses.
Tier III requirements and AI-ready infrastructure
The facility is intended to be built in accordance with Uptime Institute Tier III requirements.
A Tier III design generally incorporates redundant distribution paths and allows planned maintenance to be undertaken without shutting down critical IT operations.
MRCB said the data centre will include high-density power and cooling systems designed to support GPU-based workloads and modern AI accelerator platforms.
This distinction is important because AI computing can require significantly greater power density and cooling capacity than conventional enterprise computing.
An AI-ready data centre must therefore be designed around more than server floor space. It requires reliable electricity, advanced heat-management systems, resilient network connectivity and sufficient backup infrastructure.
The Tier III reference should not be confused automatically with final certification. Buyers, tenants and investors should distinguish between a facility designed to comply with Tier III requirements and one that has subsequently obtained the relevant design or operational certification.
The quality of commissioning and ongoing management will also influence actual reliability after completion.
Bukit Jalil offers an urban data centre location
Most discussion of Malaysia’s data centre expansion has focused on large industrial clusters in Johor, Cyberjaya and parts of Selangor.
Bukit Jalil provides a different proposition.
It is an established Kuala Lumpur location with access to major roads, telecommunications infrastructure, commercial activity and a substantial surrounding workforce. It is also close to mature residential areas, technology businesses and the wider Bukit Jalil and Sri Petaling urban corridor.
An urban data centre may appeal to customers that value proximity to Kuala Lumpur-based operations, customers and technical teams.
However, locating a large facility in an established suburb creates additional planning considerations.
Data centres have relatively limited daily visitor traffic compared with offices or retail centres, but they place significant demands on electricity, cooling, backup generation and supporting infrastructure.
The project will need to manage noise, equipment placement, security, construction traffic and its relationship with surrounding developments.
The availability of sufficient and dependable electricity will be especially important. A 65MW IT load cannot be evaluated only through land size and construction cost.
Power delivery, grid upgrades and energy efficiency will be central to whether the facility can operate at its intended capacity.
Recurring income could strengthen MRCB’s asset model
MRCB is widely associated with large-scale property development, construction and transit-oriented projects.
The Bukit Jalil data centre gives the group an opportunity to add another recurring-income asset to its portfolio.
Property developers normally face uneven earnings because revenue recognition depends on project launches, sales and construction progress. Investment assets supported by long leases can provide a more stable income stream.
The proposed ten-year lease could therefore improve earnings visibility after the facility begins operations.
Nevertheless, the value of that recurring income cannot yet be assessed without disclosure of the rental amount, escalation terms, commencement conditions and responsibilities for operating and capital expenditure.
A long lease is most valuable when supported by a strong tenant and commercially sustainable rent.
If development costs rise substantially or the operator is unable to secure sufficient customers, the project’s returns may be weaker than the headline development value suggests.
The RM2.1 billion figure represents estimated gross development cost, not guaranteed revenue or profit for MRCB.
Potential implications for the wider landbank
MRCB’s comments about further data centre opportunities suggest the current project may be used as a test case for other parts of its Bukit Jalil landbank.
This could gradually introduce a more diversified mix of uses into the area.
Digital infrastructure can increase the value of land that has suitable power and connectivity, but it does not generate the same street-level activity as housing, offices, retail or entertainment.
Future planning should therefore consider how data centre parcels fit within the wider Bukit Jalil environment.
Concentrating too much land in low-footfall infrastructure uses could weaken the active urban character expected from a mixed-use district. On the other hand, placing data centres on appropriate parcels can create long-term rental income, technical employment and demand for supporting services without adding large numbers of residents or vehicles.
The strongest outcome would involve a balanced land-use strategy rather than assuming every remaining site should follow the same model.
What the project does not yet prove
The collaboration gives MRCB a credible entry into a fast-growing property and infrastructure segment, but several milestones remain.
The parties must complete the definitive agreements, obtain relevant approvals, secure power and utility arrangements, construct the facility and convert expressions of interest into firm customer commitments.
The fourth-quarter 2027 completion target is relatively ambitious for a specialised project of this scale.
Delivery will depend on equipment procurement, grid readiness, technical approvals and construction progress.
The development also does not automatically establish Bukit Jalil as a major data centre cluster. One successful facility could encourage further investment, but expansion would require sufficient power, connectivity, land and customer demand.
Nearby residential property owners should likewise avoid assuming that the data centre will directly raise home prices.
Its more credible local effect would be the productive reuse of commercial land, additional infrastructure investment and possible employment or business activity.
Residential values will continue to depend more directly on accessibility, amenities, housing supply, building quality and buyer demand.
A strategic shift for MRCB
The RM2.1 billion Bukit Jalil data centre is significant because it combines MRCB’s property and construction capabilities with a new digital infrastructure use.
The proposed ten-year lease gives the project a clearer long-term income structure than a speculative development without an identified operator.
Its 65MW capacity and AI-oriented specifications also place it within a higher-growth computing segment rather than a conventional small-scale server facility.
However, the investment case will ultimately depend on execution.
MRCB and its partners must deliver the facility on schedule, obtain the required infrastructure and secure customers willing to commit to its capacity.
If those conditions are met, the project could enhance the value of MRCB’s Bukit Jalil land and establish a recurring-income platform for further digital infrastructure development.
For now, it represents a substantial and strategically relevant first step rather than proof that the wider Bukit Jalil landbank will become a large data centre cluster.
