KUCHING: The study to determine the route of an undersea cable project that will connect Sarawak with Peninsular Malaysia and onward to Singapore is still awaiting Indonesia's approval, as a large portion of the route passes through Indonesian waters.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Amar Fadillah Yusof said approximately 60 to 70 percent of the cable route will traverse Indonesian waters, and therefore approval must first be obtained before a seabed survey can be carried out.

He, who also serves as Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA), said a formal request letter has been submitted to Indonesia, and once approval is granted, a study will be conducted to determine the most suitable route for laying the cable.

"First of all, we are still waiting for approval for the route to enable us to conduct the seabed survey from Indonesia, since 60 to 70 percent of it passes through Indonesian waters.

"So we need to seek their consent. We have already sent the letter, and once it is agreed upon, all parties involved will carry out the seabed survey to determine the cable route from here," he said.

He made these remarks to reporters after the inauguration ceremony of Surau Nurul Muslimin Kampung Sungai Bedil Besar, here on Sunday.

Commenting on the progress of the ASEAN Power Grid, Datuk Amar Fadillah said coordination efforts for the regional energy network are now being driven by the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), headquartered in Jakarta, to harmonise standards related to cross-border energy supply.

He noted that among the challenges faced is the fact that some countries still need to upgrade their respective grid systems to enable regional energy connectivity to be implemented more effectively.

He said the network currently established involves interconnections between Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

He added that in the Borneo region, Sarawak has already been connected to West Kalimantan and Sabah, while a connection to Brunei is expected to be realised in the near future.

"In the context of the ASEAN Grid in this region, Sarawak, Kalimantan, Sabah, and Brunei will eventually form what is known as the Borneo Grid, which will be connected to Indonesia, other Indonesian islands, and also the Philippines.

"From Kuching, it will also be connected to the Peninsula via Johor, and part of it will be linked to Singapore," he said.

The Petra Jaya Member of Parliament further explained that the implementation of the entire network depends on each country's ability to upgrade its respective grid infrastructure.

He added that Sarawak also needs to continue upgrading its grid system to meet the demands of future regional energy network development. -UKASnews

Prepared by : Nur Nabilla
Photographer : Muhd Zulfadli
Translator : Uilson Ng