Bain Capital’s Bridge Data Centres Names New Leadership for Malaysian Business

Bain Capital-backed Bridge Data Centres announced this past week that it has appointed the former head of a Malaysian government agency established to promote development of the tech industry to help lead the company’s business in the Southeast Asian nation.

Singapore-based Bridge has engaged Datuk Ts. Mahadhir Aziz, the former CEO of Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) as vice president general manager for Malaysia, according to the announcement, as the company expands its team in one of the world’s fastest growing data centre markets.

“Datuk Mahadhir’s remarkable contributions to the digital economy and his expertise in fostering innovation make him an invaluable addition to our team,” said Eric Fan, President of Bridge Data Centres.

During Mahadir’s time leading the MDEC, Malaysia has jumped to the top ranks of Asian data centre markets, with 2.7GW of capacity under development at the end of 2023, compared to just 18MW two years earlier, according to market research firm DC Byte, with Bridge having already established three projects in the Southeast Asia nation.

Southeast Asia Expansion

“Joining Bridge Data Centres is an exciting opportunity for me to continue my journey on advancing Malaysia’s digital evolution,” Mahadhir said.

In his new role with the hyperscale specialist Mahadir will be reporting to president Eric Fan as Bridge seeks to expand its build-to-suit data centre solutions across Southeast Asia.

Bridge already has projects in Bukit Jali and Cyberjaya near Kuala Lumpur and in Johor, just across the border from Singapore, according to its website.

Earlier this month the company, which is a subsidiary of Beijing-based digital infrastructure firm Chindata, secured 400 megawatts of electricity under an agreement with Malaysia state electric company TNBl. That energy deal is set to provide power for a data centre project Bridge is currently developing in Johor, according to a company announcement.

In June, Bridge had announced plans for a 100MW data centre south of Kuala Lumpur through a joint venture with local developer Mah Sing Group. That project ranked as Bridge’s sixth in Malaysia at the time.

Digital Leader

Having lead the MDEC from 2021 through 2024, Mahadir is credited with helping the country to secure RM 170 billion ($38.4 billion) in digital investments during his tenure. Malaysia’s data centre market is now expected to grow by over 72 percent from 2022 through 2028, compared to 47 percent across the broader Southeast Asia region, according to a report by Research and Markets.

With growing demand to support AI applications supporting development of data centres away from major urban hubs, Malaysia has seen a spike in new projects, includiing Princeton Digital Group in July completing the 52MW initial phase of its 150MW JH1 data centre campus in Johor during July of this year.

That opening came after operational data centre capacity in Malaysia jumped 80 percent in the first half of this year, compared to the preceding six months, according to Cushman & Wakefield.

With that first-half performance already ranking Malaysia as the fastest growing data centre market in Asia Pacific, according to the property consultancy, growth has continued in the waning months of the year.

Major hyperscalers have announced plans to expand their Malaysian investments in recent weeks, with local property giant Sime Darby Property announcing earlier this month that it has entered a fresh build-and-lease agreement with Google for the development of additional data centres for the tech giant. That milestone came after Google broke ground on its first Malaysia data centre two months ago.

Malaysia’s data centre expansion this year has been driven by a surge in Johor with the state having reached 1.9 gigawatts of existing and committed capacity by the end of June, according to Cushman & Wakefield.