Zayana Zaikariah presented on ‘The Growth of Data Centres in Malaysia’s Digital Infrastructure’ at the 7th NTS-Asia Annual Conference on 15 May 2025
The Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS) organised the 7th NTS-Asia Annual Conference on 8 to 9 May 2025 at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. Themed “Changing Geopolitics and Impacts on Non-Traditional Security Challenges in the Asia-Pacific,” the event brought together NTS-Asia members and experts across the region for a fruitful discussion on the topic.
The intensification of great power competition and geopolitical shifts have had a direct impact on NTS issues, leading to fragmented global supply chains, exacerbating human security concerns, and the weakening of international capacity to collectively address them. The first panel outlined the trends in the shifting world order and emphasised the rising risks and threats including transnational crime, climate vulnerability, water security and cybersecurity. For example, the end of the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan was highlighted as a potential future flash point for water-induced conflict if not managed well. The discussion also examined the challenges middle powers face in navigating the geopolitical dynamics concerning US-China rivalry without giving up their strategic autonomy. Suggestions on how to adapt to these changes were raised, such as the bridging of traditional and non-traditional security, bolstering multilateral arrangements for capacity and norm building, and engaging the Global South as collaborators and not just as recipients. Other areas of collaboration include building on the existing shared values between ASEAN and Japan in framing climate security for the Asian region, including ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and the Japanese Free and Open Indo Pacific (FOIP).
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