By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, June 4: The federal government and the Sarawak government are collaborating to realise a major cross-border energy initiative aimed at meeting power demand across four countries, including Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, as well as extending supply to Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia.
In a TVS news, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the initiative involves the development of undersea cable infrastructure designed to transmit Sarawak’s surplus energy capacity to regional markets.
“This joint proposal with the Sarawak government utilises a very large energy capacity and provides an undersea route to meet energy needs in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, as well as Sabah up to the Philippines and Indonesia,” he said when speaking at the Energy Transition Conference 2026 (ETCon26) in Kuala Lumpur today.
He said the collaboration reflects Malaysia’s broader ambition to strengthen regional energy integration while advancing its renewable energy agenda.
Also present were Deputy Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad and Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Razak Abdul Majid.
Previously, Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the undersea electricity cable linking Sarawak and Singapore would span about 720 kilometres, with most of the route passing through Indonesian waters, and is expected to be commercially operational by 2031.
Sarawak currently operates three hydropower plants with a combined capacity of 3.5 gigawatts (GW), capable of supplying electricity to around three million households daily.
A fourth hydropower plant is also under construction as part of the State’s long-term strategy to achieve 10GW of generation capacity by 2030, with emphasis on solar and natural gas as complementary energy sources.
Meanwhile, Anwar said the Klang Valley, Sarawak and Johor are emerging as key destinations for digital economy investments, particularly in large-scale data centre operations, supported by Malaysia’s strategic location and competitive investment ecosystem.
He added that national utility Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) plays a crucial role in supporting the expansion of the digital sector, helping position Malaysia as a strong contender in the global race for advanced digital infrastructure.
“This increases the challenge, but I am fully confident in TNB’s ability to lead the nation’s energy transition and meet the aspirations of artificial intelligence (AI) and energy development,” he said. — DayakDaily
