Malaysia has recorded 17.5 million users of the 5G services to date, covering over 82% of the populated areas nationwide, according to Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo.

"The ministry, through Digital Nasional Bhd, has provided and will continue to provide 5G infrastructure. The high number of users indicates a strong interest in this technology.

"...we would like to ensure that all infrastructure is secure, particularly in terms of cybersecurity and data usage," he told reporters after officiating the Connected Industries Day: Transforming Manufacturing with 5G and Artificial Intelligence (AI) programme in Johor Bahru.

On data centres, Gobind said the government had not set any limits on data centre construction in the state but would assess the suitability of each investment before proceeding.

"We will carefully review each application because in the future we not only want data centres but also AI-powered data centres. We also need to consider several factors including approvals for land and the required energy and water supply," he said.

On Nov 12, Gobind was reported as saying that by October 2024, 10 data centres had begun operations in Johor, and seven were still in the development process, adding that the state government is studying 36 applications to build the infrastructure.

He added that the planning for areas dedicated to data centres such as the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, aims to maximise economic spillover by attracting high-technology investments and potentially generating high income for the people.