KUALA LUMPUR, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia will unveil a natural gas roadmap this year to ramp up investments into the sector and ensure energy security, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said on Thursday.
With the aim of building on natural gas' 52 billion ringgit (11.6 billion U.S. dollars) contribution to economic growth, Rafizi highlighted the government's plans in his keynote speech at the Malaysian Gas Symposium (MyGAS 2025) here.
"We want to communicate the government's position on key regulatory issues, demonstrate how these barriers will be addressed, and outline the opportunities in building a robust gas infrastructure that will secure Malaysia's long-term supply," he said.
Rafizi stated that the roadmap would also focus on access to financing and gas infrastructure and that a clear direction, accompanied by strong policy support from the government, would boost confidence in the banking and financial sectors, reinforcing the gas industry's role as the backbone of the country's economy.
"By expanding our regasification terminals and pipelines, we want to increase the number of technical jobs and sustain the industry's socioeconomic impact," he said.
Rafizi added that the push is important when considering the geopolitics of energy, noting that the global gas market is more fragmented than the crude oil market.
The symposium provides a key platform for in-depth discussions on Malaysia's gas industry, market trends, policy direction and global influences. ■
