KLUANG, April 19 — Berasau Orang Asli Village here has made history by becoming the first remote Orang Asli settlement in the country to receive 24‑hour electricity through an integrated solar system, without relying on the public grid.

The project, under the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra) through its Madani adopted village initiative, also includes a solar‑roofed community hall and local activity hub, while providing benefits to more than 20 households in the village, located far from major roads.

The system uses off‑grid solar photovoltaic (PV) technology with a capacity of more than 50 kilowatt‑peak, paired with a 516‑kilowatt‑hour battery storage system, providing a continuous electricity supply to an area that previously relied on generators.

The project was carried out by Petra in collaboration with the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA), the Public Works Department (JKR), and several federal and Johor state agencies, aimed at expanding access to clean energy in rural areas.

For residents, especially the young and families in the village, round-the-clock electricity has transformed daily life, which was once limited to generator use.

Berasau Orang Asli community chief Sari Achu, 51, said residents can now enjoy basic amenities they have long waited for.

“For many years, we relied only on generators, with electricity available for just a few hours each night. Now we are grateful that our village finally has a continuous electricity supply,” he told Bernama after attending the launch ceremony of the project here today.

He said the facility has had a direct impact on children’s education as well as the villagers’ small‑scale economic activities.

“Children can now study much more comfortably at night. We who work as inland fishermen can also store our catch more effectively,” he said.

He also said the solar‑powered community hall has opened space for community activities, including education programmes, residents’ meetings and local social events.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, also Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, launched the ministry’s Madani Adopted Village project in the village today.

He said the off‑grid solar system was chosen due to the challenges of extending a conventional grid, which would take a long time and cross forest reserves and private land, adding that the project’s success is expected to become a reference model for similar initiatives in other Orang Asli settlements, especially remote areas that still lack a stable, continuous electricity supply.

Meanwhile, senior electrical engineer and project team leader Abdul Muhaimin Mahmud from JKR said the project involved installing 85 solar panels, constructing the building and energy‑storage unit, and was completed in October 2025, earlier than scheduled, after starting in January 2025.

“The biggest challenge was getting to the site because it is so remote, as well as making sure the installation met all the technical requirements. But it was completed thanks to the cooperation of all parties, including the local community,” he said.

He said that after nearly six months of operation, the system has performed well and is delivering direct benefits to residents who previously relied on limited generator‑based power. — Bernama