HER Majesty Raja Permaisuri Agong Raja Zarith Sofiah has called on authorities, the private sector and the public to assess the environmental and social impact of data centre development in Malaysia, particularly its demands on electricity, water and land.
Her Majesty said the assessment should also consider the effects on surrounding communities, including noise pollution and excessive lighting from facilities operating around the clock.
"I hope the authorities; the private sector and the public will assess the impact of data centres in our country.
"We need to consider their very high electricity and water consumption, misuse of land, as well as their effects on our communities, including noise levels and the brightness of lights used throughout the day and into the night," Her Majesty said.
Raja Zarith Sofiah was speaking at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's (UTM) 70th Convocation Ceremony here today, which was also streamed live on the university's Facebook page.
Her Majesty, who is UTM Chancellor, said technological advancement could not be separated from environmental sustainability, particularly as human activities had contributed significantly to climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss and the depletion of natural resources.
She urged the educated community to play a greater role in addressing environmental degradation by changing attitudes and embracing collective responsibility to protect the planet for future generations.
On artificial intelligence (AI), Raja Zarith Sofiah said the technology should be harnessed to improve people's quality of life rather than being driven solely by economic gains.
Her Majesty said UTM, as a research university spearheading the establishment of Malaysia's first Faculty of Artificial Intelligence, had an important responsibility to ensure technological development remained guided by ethics, integrity and human values.
Raja Zarith Sofiah also reminded graduates that the rapid advancement of AI presented both significant opportunities and challenges, requiring them to continuously upgrade their knowledge and skills to adapt to technological changes. - November 14, 2026
