Malaysian Data Centers Train Locals in Advanced Cooling Tech

Instead of outsourcing to foreign vendors, one Malaysian company is betting on homegrown talent and it's creating a ripple effect across the country's tech industry.

Open DC Sdn Bhd operates six data centers across Malaysia and has spent the past decade doing something unusual. Rather than hiring foreign vendors to install and maintain advanced cooling systems, the company handpicks local Malaysian companies and trains them alongside global equipment suppliers.

Managing director Wong Weng Yew says the approach addresses a real gap in the market. Malaysia's tropical climate makes cooling technology especially critical for data centers, but local vendors rarely get opportunities to work with state-of-the-art systems like liquid cooling.

"Traditionally, we have seen that a lot of players chosen to use foreign vendors to come in to outsource everything to them," Wong explained at a media briefing in Kuala Lumpur. "But instead of doing that, we actually pick local companies to work alongside with us."

The company goes further by requiring equipment suppliers to transfer knowledge to local teams. Suppliers must train Malaysian personnel and include them as part of the delivery teams, giving locals hands-on experience with technologies they might never encounter otherwise.

This matters because Malaysia's data center industry is growing fast, especially with increasing demand for AI-ready facilities. These next-generation centers require sophisticated cooling systems that are more power-intensive than traditional setups.

The Ripple Effect

Open DC's two facilities each in Johor Bahru and Penang, plus one each in Cyberjaya and Kedah, have become training grounds for Malaysian tech talent. Each project creates opportunities for local vendors to build specialized expertise they can apply to future work.

Wong describes the strategy as planting seeds for the future. "By doing so, hopefully we can also start a seed in the local market that hopefully we can grow to become a tree of talents in the local market."

The model creates a sustainable cycle where trained local vendors can support ongoing operations and take on new projects. Instead of knowledge leaving the country when foreign contractors finish a job, it stays embedded in Malaysian companies.

As the 100% locally owned company expands, it's proving that investing in local capability doesn't mean sacrificing quality or innovation.