SINGAPORE: Asean must move beyond commitments and take concrete steps to turn its regional power grid ambition into reality, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
He cited the Laos-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore (LTMS) Power Integration Project as evidence that multilateral electricity trading in the region was possible, underscoring the potential for such initiatives to advance the regional grouping’s power grid ambitions.
Fadillah, who is also Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister, said the bloc had reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing regional connectivity at the recent 44th Asean Ministers on Energy Meeting in Manila, Philippines.
“It is now time to move the ambition into action,” he said in his ministerial keynote address at the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2026 yesterday.
Fadillah said Malaysia viewed the Asean Power Grid (APG) not just as infrastructure but as a strategic connection for the region’s energy security and prosperity.
“These connections are more than cables carrying electrons across borders; they are bridges of energy security.
“In times of stability, they bring efficiency and help us integrate more renewable energy, while in times of disruption, they bring options, flexibility and resilience,” he said, Bernama reported.
The APG is an energy cooperation initiative aimed at promoting electricity trading to strengthen energy security, resilience and connectivity while helping Asean meet growing electricity demand and improve access to reliable and affordable energy.
The LTMS Power Integration Project, which has been operational since 2022, enables electricity trading among four Asean countries through existing power grids and represents an important step towards implementing multilateral power trading across the region.
Fadillah said the bloc’s strength lay in the ability of its member states to complement one another and build a system that connects all resources together.
He stressed that energy transition and energy security were “two sides of the same coin”, and that a more diversified, interconnected and flexible system would lead to stronger regional integration.
He reaffirmed that Malaysia stands ready to play its part and would keep advancing its domestic energy transition and strengthening partnerships.
“We will deepen our partnership with Singapore and work with our Asean neighbours and international partners to turn connectivity from aspiration into reality.
“We have the vision, we have the partners, and what we need now is the will to act together. The energy future we want will not be built by any one country; it will be built by all of us together.”
