KUALA LUMPUR: Gas pipeline safety is the shared responsibility of all levels of government with cooperation between federal, state and local authorities (PBT) being key to preventing any leaks or fires, says the Housing and Local Government Ministry.
The ministry said their cooperation was essential to safeguard communities, especially in areas where developments are located near high-risk infrastructure such as PETRONAS gas pipelines.
“Any risks related to gas pipeline alignments can only be truly addressed through holistic strategic cooperation between agencies.
“This comprehensive approach is crucial to protecting public safety and to guarantee the well-being of local communities,” the ministry said in a parliamentary written reply on Wednesday.
The ministry also said it was currently working closely with PETRONAS and various agencies like the Energy Commission and the National Disaster Management Agency to refine safety standards and emergency procedures related to developments near high-risk infrastructure.
It noted that PBTs have the responsibility of approving layout plans and proposed utility plans for developers for them to obtain planning permissions.
The ministry said PBTs must obtain technical input and certification from agencies including road authorities and utility service providers, to ensure compliance with laws and guidelines.
“Therefore, it is the responsibility of the PBT, when processing planning permissions, to ensure that proposed developments are consistent with land-use zoning and comply with all required technical planning standards.”
The ministry added that it had also strengthened approval processes by introducing the OSC 3.0 Plus Manual, which brings Gas Malaysia Bhd and PETRONAS Gas Bhd into the process as External Technical Agencies.
It was responding to a question from Azli Yusof (PH-Shah Alam) on what improvements had been made to the planning permission approval process to reduce the possible impact of developments on gas pipelines in order to prevent any future leaks or fires.
