Malaysia Must Meet Rising Demand of RE to Woo Investors - Deputy PM Fadillah

SUNGAI PETANI (Kedah, Malaysia), Oct 6 (Bernama) -- The need for renewable energy (RE) in Malaysia is increasing in line with the confidence of foreign investors, especially in establishing data centres.

Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof said the situation presents a challenge to the government in ensuring that the demand can be met apart from the need for water supply to draw investors.

“Right now in southern state Johor alone, the demand for renewable energy is approximately 8,000 megawatts, as it is with the (amount of) water supply to cool the data centre.

“It means that if we are not ready, then these investors will not come. That’s why we have to find a way to ensure that we can supply the energy needed by the investors,” he said.

Fadillah, who is also the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, said the situation also required the necessary human resources, especially the working class with upskilled knowledge to meet the needs of investors.

He said in that regard, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) plays a pivotal role in producing a local technical workforce in accordance with foreign investor demands.

“This is precisely what is being implemented under the leadership of our Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. That is why TVET is being focused on for us to train, now under (Deputy Prime Minister) Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, to focus on how we want to ensure that this TVET (education) is widespread,” he also said.

Fadillah emphasised the responsibility of ensuring that Malaysians are equipped with new technical knowledge and skills, which must be supported by all quarters so that foreign investment can materialise here.

-- BERNAMA