Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and Universiti Malaya (UM) co-hosted the Second Digital Think Tank Network Roundtable, highlighting the urgent need for robust safety standards in Malaysia’s clean energy transition. Held under the theme "Building Trust in Green Energy: Safety, Standards, and the Future", the roundtable brought together industry experts, government regulators, and academia to address the critical role of governance and compliance in renewable energy systems.

Opening the session, Mr Damon Leong, Solutions Expert at Huawei Malaysia, delivered a keynote on "The Importance of Standards for Renewable Energy in Malaysia", citing incidents such as battery energy storage system (BESS) failures and photovoltaic (PV) fires as evidence that Malaysia must adopt comprehensive safety frameworks.

“Safety is the foundation of everything we do at Huawei. A single compromised product can set back the entire industry. That’s why we never compromise safety for cost,” said Leong. He emphasized the need for stricter import controls and rigorous product validation, supported by a national Malaysian Standards (MS) Committee involving academia, manufacturers, regulators, and testing bodies.

Leong reaffirmed Huawei Malaysia’s long-standing commitment since 2001 to support the country's energy ecosystem with innovative, safer, and more efficient technologies.

Joining the panel, Ts Nurhafiza Mohd Hasan, Director of Safety Regulation at the Energy Commission (ST), shared that nearly 200 IEC and Malaysian Standards have been adopted through national codes and guidelines to safeguard electricity supply. However, she noted the importance of continuous updates to keep pace with rapid technological changes.

In the session titled "Malaysia Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7", Professor Dr Jeyraj Selvaraj, Executive Director of UM’s Power and Energy Dedicated Advanced Centre, stated that Malaysia must triple its renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030 to stay on track with global climate commitments. He underscored the urgency of moving forward in solar, hydro, bioenergy and emerging technologies.

Associate Professor Ir Dr Lim Boon Han from UTAR also highlighted the various risks associated with PV systems—such as electrical faults, lightning strikes, poor module quality, and natural disasters. He stressed the importance of following updated safety guidelines, including those released by Malaysia’s Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) in 2024.

The roundtable concluded with remarks by Pn Sujatha Sekhar Naik, Chairman of the Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance, who reflected on the role of corporate stewardship in green technology and emphasized the importance of the Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance (MCCG) as a guide for sustainable practices.

As Malaysia progresses toward its Net Zero 2050 commitment, initiatives like this roundtable underline the importance of multi-sector collaboration in ensuring that the path to renewable energy is not only effective but safe, reliable, and accountable.