KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — A Pakatan Harapan (PH) parliamentarian urged the government to reverse its ban on and allow renewable energy (RE) exports to Singapore in an effort to attract investments and create more green jobs.

DAP MP Yeo Bee Yin said by allowing exports, Malaysian-based companies can gain by supplying RE to neighbouring Singapore.

She said on October 25 last year, the Singapore government announced that it will import up to four GW of low-carbon RE by 2035.

"This is a potential export market that if captured fully, we will be able to attract RM6 billion in private investment and create around 50,000 jobs in Malaysia.

Advertisement

"Of course, Malaysia will probably not be able to 'eat the whole pie' but since Malaysia is geographically close to Singapore, I believe that we will be able to capture a healthy piece of the pie,” said Yeo.

The former energy, science, technology, environment and climate change minister pointed out that Singapore’a Energy Market Authority (EMA) had issued the first Request for Proposal (RFP) on November 12 last year for the import of up to 1.2 GW of electricity.

"The deadline for RFP submission is on June 14 and our RE players will likely miss this round. As for the second RFP, it will be open this quarter.

Advertisement

"Upon winning the bid, RE players, either foreign or local, will build RE plants in Malaysia and export the electricity to Singapore. This will lead to greater green investment in Malaysia and generating more green jobs, such as engineers, technicians, analysts and related vocations.

"I call upon the government to reverse the decision to ban RE exports so that Malaysia-based RE players can also participate in the second RFP,” Yeo said in a statement issued today.

Yeo was optimistic that Malaysia can position itself as a growth area for green economy as well as green jobs by exporting RE to Singapore as the country is anticipated to require more RE in its electricity mix.

She said this is due to the increasing number of multinational companies making a commitment towards carbon neutrality and many of them have their regional headquarters in Singapore.

Yeo also noted that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and many Cabinet ministers have been travelling around the world in an effort to attract investments for the country.

"I hope they realise that there is one very low hanging fruit, lying at our doorstep, waiting to be picked.

"If the government needs help in terms of driving the technical and regulatory change needed to allow RE export, I am more than happy to help,” she said, touching on Malaysia’s potential to attract investments for RE exports.

Yeo explained that during her stint in the previous government, Malaysia had been proactively engaged with Singapore on RE exports to the country from the end of 2018 until in early 2020 when the 'Sheraton Move' caused the collapse of the elected PH administration.

"In fact, RE trading was included in the agenda of almost every of my bilateral discussions with my Singaporean counterpart when I was in office,” she said.

However, Yeo added that by October last year the government had announced a ban on RE exports.

She said the Parliament’s reply was that Malaysia will need to fulfill its own carbon reduction target towards the National Determined Commitment (NDC) as agreed under the Paris Agreement.

Malaysia is among the many countries that have committed to the NDC to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change during the Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP) in Paris in 2015. The commitment is known as The Paris Agreement.