PETALING JAYA: Malaysia views the transition to clean and renewable energy as a national security imperative as geopolitical conflicts continue to disrupt global energy supply chains, with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim calling for closer cooperation between Asean and China's Greater Bay Area (GBA) to accelerate the region's energy transformation.
The Prime Minister said reliance on finite fossil fuel resources had become increasingly risky amid mounting global instability, making regional energy integration more urgent than ever.
"The transition towards clean, renewable energy sources is not just an ecological preference; it is a core national security imperative.
"It is central to strengthening Malaysia and the region's energy security," he said in his keynote address at the GBA-Asean Conference on Energy Transition and Integration on Wednesday (July 29).
He said the transition was equally important in ensuring the region's long-term economic competitiveness.
Anwar said recent global conflicts had highlighted the vulnerabilities of existing energy supply chains, citing the ongoing war involving Iran, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and disruptions to critical maritime routes.
"Apart from the human toll and the destruction of critical infrastructure, we are now confronted with the massive disruption of economies and energy supply chains," he said, adding that the situation had been compounded by the blockade of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
To strengthen regional resilience, Anwar said Asean should deepen cooperation with China by leveraging the Greater Bay Area's technological strengths, advanced manufacturing capabilities and innovation ecosystem.
"By incorporating the technological and structural innovations of the Greater Bay Area, we can accelerate the proliferation of renewable energy and build robust, modern power systems across our borders," he said.
He noted that China's clean energy industry had grown to account for more than one-tenth of its gross domestic product, adding that engagement with China and other partner countries should continue to be pursued through Asean-led mechanisms.
"For Asean member states, deeper engagement with China and other partner countries should be pursued through Asean-led mechanisms, such as the Asean Power Grid," he said.
Anwar said the cross-border electricity network had already demonstrated its potential, pointing to existing and planned interconnections linking Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, as well as future links involving Sarawak, Sabah, Kalimantan and possibly the southern Philippines.
He said the regional grid would allow Asean to showcase how economic growth, peace and sustainability could go hand in hand through the adoption of alternative energy and environmentally sustainable policies.
Recognising that governments alone could not finance the transition, Anwar called for stronger collaboration among the public sector, private investors and project developers.
"We need capital to build solar farms, upgrade grids, install battery storage, and upskill workers. Massive, sustained and structured capital.
"National governments cannot bear this burden alone. Achieving the energy transition at scale will require unprecedented collaboration among the public sector, private investors and project developers," he said.
He said Malaysia had laid the groundwork through innovative financing initiatives, including the launch of the world's first green sukuk framework in 2017, which combined Islamic finance principles with environmental sustainability.
"Since then, Malaysia's financial markets have expanded dynamically, cementing our position as the region's most attractive destination for sustainable investment," he said.
On Malaysia's domestic agenda, Anwar reaffirmed the government's commitment under the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) to ensure a stable, affordable and reliable energy supply, drive economic growth and reduce carbon emissions while protecting natural ecosystems.
He said Malaysia remained committed to achieving 31% renewable energy capacity by 2025, increasing this to 40% by 2035 and 70% by 2050.
"We have committed to no new coal plants and to the gradual retirement of existing coal capacity. Natural gas will continue to play a stabilising role in the near term as the country journeys towards its long-term aspiration of a higher share of renewables," he said.
Anwar also suggested that nuclear energy deserved greater consideration as part of Asean's long-term energy mix, saying the region possessed the regulatory experience and technical expertise needed to support future developments.
He stressed, however, that the energy transition must not come at the expense of social justice.
"A transition that is technologically brilliant but socially devastating is not a transition; it is an injustice.
"At the end of the day, energy transition and integration, or digital transformation, is about the people. Hence, we cannot overstress the imperative of prioritising the poor and the marginalised," he said.
Describing the Greater Bay Area as a global leader in finance, technology and advanced manufacturing, Anwar said the region was an indispensable partner for Malaysia and Asean.
"The decisions we make in these critical years will echo for decades. Let us be remembered as the architects of a green golden age, an era where the economy thrived, the environment healed, and our societies became more compassionate, just, and unified," he said.
