9 November 2026 · 5 slides
Photo: AFP via France 24
2 · What happened
Residents washed with seawater. Then they protested.
On 8 November dozens gathered outside Nongsa Digital Park in Batam after a year of water shortages. Residents say tanker water is yellowish and smells. The mayor blames drought; the utility, a depleted reservoir and a fault.
Photo: via Startup Fortune
3 · Quote
“We cannot eat rice without water. We cannot cook vegetables without water.”
Juniardi Adinda Sembiring Gurukinayan, 54, Batam resident, to AFP, 8 November 2026
Photo: The Jakarta Post
4 · The number
2.1 GW of data-centre capacity in Johor, from about 10 MW five years ago
Malaysia's deputy prime minister says data centres could use a third of national energy by 2035. Google pledged US$15 billion more for Malaysia on 4 November. Singapore's own 2019–22 moratorium pushed the boom next door.
Photo: news.theonlinecitizen.com
5 · Bottom line
Ask your host where its water comes from.
Power and water, not chips, decide where the region's AI gets built. When you sign for cloud or colocation, ask about the site's water and power sources, and what happens in a drought.
Photo: AFP via France 24