{
  "id": 8860524,
  "title": "Bekalan gas susut, harga elektrik bakal meningkat, kata Rafizi",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/bekalan-gas-susut-harga-elektrik-bakal-meningkat-kata-rafizi-8860524",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-21T05:28:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2026/09/21/bekalan-gas-susut-harga-elektrik-bakal-meningkat-kata-rafizi"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Malaysia needs to accelerate the development of new energy sources and address the country's long-term gas supply balance to reduce pressure on electricity tariffs, said former Finance Minister Rafizi Ramli. Electricity prices are likely to continue rising over the next five years as Malaysia faces a shortage of domestic gas while winding down reliance on coal-fired power, Rafizi stated. The issue extends beyond Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) or the electricity bill, it is a pressing energy security challenge, he added. This is not just a TNB issue, but a national one, he said during a recent podcast interview. Rafizi noted that Malaysia's electricity generation system was designed several decades ago when the country had abundant gas supplies. However, domestic gas production in mainland Malaysia is now insufficient, forcing the nation to increase reliance on liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports. This price surge has already been observed in gas prices, with LNG prices jumping from around RM46 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) to between RM70 to RM80 per MMBtu amid Hormuz Strait disruptions. According to Rafizi, the sudden price increase indicates that domestic gas supplies are not sufficient to meet the electricity sector's demand, despite the country's average daily consumption of about 800 million cubic feet. \"Malaysia needs to import gas,\" he said, emphasizing that the gas supply balance has become an issue. Rafizi said the government's recent move to reduce electricity bills should not be seen as a permanent solution. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recently announced that domestic electricity subsidies will be extended from 600kWh to 800kWh per month starting this month until 31 December. While this will exempt users who consume up to 800kWh per month from automatic fuel switching (AFA), consumption charges, sales tax, and service fees, Rafizi warned that the root problem will become more severe as domestic natural gas production continues to decline, increasing Malaysia's dependence on imports to meet demand. Electricity in mainland Malaysia primarily comes from coal, gas, and renewable energy. Current data shows coal contributes about 57.9% to electricity generation, followed by gas at 34.9%, while hydro and solar each contribute 4.7% and 2.5%, respectively. Rafizi said Malaysia cannot continue relying on coal as a long-term solution, while stressing the government's commitment to achieving a carbon-neutral economy by 2050. He said carbon-intensive power generation could also put Malaysia at a disadvantage when exporting, as countries like Europe, Japan, and South Korea would impose carbon taxes in their markets, negatively impacting Malaysia's competitiveness. At the same time, he said, high-carbon power generation cannot be developed rapidly enough to fully replace coal, due to constraints on land, battery storage, financing, and rooftop solar panel installation. \"We cannot turn the entire country into a solar farm,\" he said. This was made while the government is also reviewing the potential of nuclear energy in Malaysia's future energy mix. Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof said in February that MyPOWER Corporation Malaysia is conducting a comprehensive assessment of Malaysia's nuclear energy program, including infrastructure development, legislative framework, regulatory environment, project feasibility, industry participation, stakeholder engagement, and human resource development. Rafizi said gas must play a transitional role as Malaysia increases renewable energy usage and reduces reliance on coal gradually. However, he added, this presents a dilemma because Malaysia does not have enough domestic gas supplies. Rafizi said greater dependence on LNG imports would increase cash outflows due to payments in US dollars, putting pressure on the ringgit if Malaysia needs to spend billions of ringgit annually on imported gas. He warned that reliance on imported gas would weaken Malaysia's energy independence, citing Europe's dependence on cheap Russian gas before the Russia-Ukraine war. \"We have seen what happened to European countries when they became too reliant on cheap Russian gas,\" he said. Rafizi said this burden will ultimately fall on consumers as the government cannot afford to keep subsidizing electricity costs indefinitely. He said the AFA mechanism needs to be understood in a broader context as electricity prices are likely to remain under pressure unless Malaysia accelerates the development of renewable energy and addresses the gas supply imbalance.",
  "summary": "Bekas menteri ekonomi itu berkata bil elektrik berdepan tekanan jangka panjang apabila penggunaan arang batu dikurangkan dan bekalan gas domestik semakin terhad.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Bekalan gas susut, harga elektrik bakal meningkat, kata Rafizi",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/bekalan-gas-susut-harga-elektrik-bakal-meningkat-kata-rafizi",
        "published": "2026-09-21T05:28:37.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}