By Emily Ruran
KUCHING, June 9: Asean countries should establish a common framework for the Asean Power Grid to facilitate regional energy connectivity, says Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Speaking during a dialogue session at the Asia Pacific Green Hydrogen Conference and Exhibition (APGH) 2026 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) today, he said the regional bloc currently has no concrete framework for cross-border energy interconnection.
He elaborated that Asean could take a cue from the European Union (EU), which already has a framework that enables member countries to share energy resources.
“We don’t have to reinvent. We can study what happened in the European Union and use that as a model,” he said.
He added that Sarawak has already started building regional energy connectivity through bilateral collaborations, including supplying electricity to Indonesia.
Speaking to reporters later, he said discussions are also ongoing to supply electricity to Brunei and Singapore, while Sarawak is expanding power supply to Sabah, with the possibility of extending the network to the Philippines.
Abang Johari said these bilateral arrangements could eventually form part of a wider Asean grid once a common framework is established.
“We have to start somewhere. I hope the Asean member states will have a common platform,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Premier also said that Sarawak backs Japan’s Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) initiative, advocating broader international cooperation and common trading rules.
During a dialogue with International Energy Agency (IEA) executive director Emeritus Nobuo Tanaka, the possibility of using the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) as a framework to strengthen cooperation in hydrogen and clean technologies was also raised.
The Premier expressed support in principle for closer collaboration among energy-producing economies through the exchange of ideas and the establishment of common trading protocols.
He said such cooperation could enhance collaboration between Asia, Europe, and neighbouring economies while supporting the development of cleaner energy technologies.
However, he stressed that any broader international arrangement involving Malaysia would ultimately be a matter for the federal government.
“But I think he (Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) will be in favour of this because it benefits everybody. That will enhance global cooperation between our side, Asia, with Europe, and with our neighbouring countries,” he said.
The Japan-led AZEC initiative, unveiled in 2022, promotes regional cooperation in clean energy and decarbonisation while balancing economic growth.
CPTPP is a multilateral free trade agreement involving 12 economies across the Asia-Pacific region and has increasingly been viewed as a potential platform to facilitate broader cooperation in emerging sectors, including clean energy and low-carbon technologies. — DayakDaily
