KUCHING, Nov 5 (Bernama) — Sarawak is placing dam safety as a key driver of its green energy and water transformation agenda under the Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030), said Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said dam safety management is no longer just an engineering requirement but a strategic imperative that underpins the state’s sustainable development path.
“The future of dam safety is not built on concrete and steel alone, but on cooperation, trust and shared responsibility among nations and people,” he said when officiating the Third International Conference on Dam Safety Management and Engineering (ICDSME 2025) here today.
His speech text was read by state Deputy Minister for Utilities and Telecommunication (Sarawak Energy and PETROS) Datuk Ibrahim Baki.
Abang Johari said Sarawak’s safe and well-managed dams are at the heart of the state’s shift towards renewable power and water resilience.
Citing the Batang Ai Hydroelectric Plant, he said the project’s integration with the Batang Ai Floating Solar Farm demonstrates how hybrid hydro-solar systems can diversify green power generation without requiring new land, optimise land use and reduce water evaporation from reservoirs.
Abang Johari said such initiatives also support regional energy security and align with the ASEAN Power Grid vision.
“Crucially, this safe, clean and reliable power is not just for Sarawak… it is our contribution to regional energy security, advancing the vision of the ASEAN Power Grid,” he said.
He said Sarawak’s growing role in regional energy trade was further strengthened by the Sarawak-Singapore Interconnection Project, which recently received conditional approval from Singapore’s Energy Market Authority to export up to 1,000 megawatts of green energy via a new subsea cable.
At the national level, he said the establishment of the National Dam Centre under the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation marks another milestone in enhancing Malaysia’s institutional capacity in dam safety management and technical excellence.
“The recent approval for the establishment of the National Dam Centre is a major milestone to serve as a hub for coordinated dam safety management, data integration and capacity building, strengthening our institutional readiness and technical excellence,” he added.
— BERNAMA
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