PETALING JAYA: About 200 factories around Putra Heights, affected by the April 1 gas pipeline blast, are worried production will suffer when demand returns after the Hari Raya holidays.
SME Association national president Chin Chee Seong said affected factories were informed that reconnection would take time, as gas pipelines leading to their premises were disrupted.
“Many of these factories are unhappy, as their operations depend on gas. Some food manufacturers said their raw materials are already impacted. They fear they won’t be able to meet demand after Hari Raya due to insufficient gas supply,” said Chin.
Most of the surrounding factories are small and medium enterprises, Chin said, adding that he received feedback from his members confirming the disruption after the Putra Heights blast.
“As soon as the blast took place in Putra Heights on April 1, Gas Malaysia Bhd issued a notice to factories of the temporary closure of gas facilities and that supply would be affected,” said Chin.
Tuesday morning’s fire affected 1,254 people from 308 families, damaging over 200 houses.
In a statement to the factories sighted by The Star, an operational flow order notice was issued naming about 200 factories in Shah Alam, Kundang, Petaling Jaya, Teluk Panglima Garang, Port Klang, Pulau Indah and the surrounding areas.
The statement from Gas Malaysia said these factories would have their gas supplies disrupted when there is an “offtake of the supply” without giving a time frame.
Most of the companies in the list are in the food manufacturing industry, while others are in electronics, automotive and metals.
The Italian Baker, a bread factory, issued a statement on Thursday that its bakery products may be “temporarily limited in stores” from yesterday.
Another affected source lamented that up till yesterday, no time frame of the resumption of the gas supply was given to the factories.
“We do not know how long this disruption will be. We have also requested Gas Malaysia to inform us if there are any alternatives to sources of piped gas as we need gas to run our factories and produce our goods.
“We are worried when production returns to full force next week after the Hari Raya holidays and demand returns to normal, we would not be able to go back to our optimum output,” said the source.
Meanwhile, Gas Malaysia stated that it will continue updating the affected factories.
“The Group will continue to provide them with updates on the progress of the situation.
“Gas Malaysia recognises the challenges faced by its customers and remains committed in engaging with other relevant stakeholders such as gas suppliers and authorities while actively working towards minimising disruption.
“Safety and operational integrity remain Gas Malaysia’s top priority and the Group has mobilised the necessary resources to closely monitor the situation,” it said in Wednesday’s statement.
