KUCHING: The Sarawak state legislative assembly has unanimously passed the Gas Distribution Bill (Amendment) 2024, establishing a legal framework to regulate hydrogen distribution in Sarawak.
The decision was reached through a majority vote following a debate session that saw the participation of 22 assemblymen.
Sarawak Utilities and Telecommunications Minister Datuk Seri Julaihi Narawi highlighted that the Bill now expands the definition of “gas” within the Principal Ordinance to include hydrogen.
“This Amendment Bill incorporates new provisions under Part IVA (into the Gas Distribution Ordinance) to specifically regulate activities related to hydrogen,” he said, referring to hydrogen’s inclusion in the legal framework governing gas distribution.
The amendment introduces new offences and penalties for unlicensed hydrogen-related activities, including generation, storage, and distribution.
Unauthorised actions could result in penalties ranging from substantial fines to imprisonment, while repeated non-compliance may incur penalties up to ten times the initial fine, including a financial penalty, which could reach up to RM20 million, recoverable as a civil debt paid into the State Consolidated Fund.
Julaihi emphasised that the amendment strengthens Sarawak’s Ordinance to support the state’s clean energy transition, facilitating the development, generation, and distribution of hydrogen as Sarawak positions itself at the forefront of the green energy sector.
