Rci Needed In Putra Heights Gas Pipeline Inferno

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There has been a clarion call for the Madani government to conduct a thorough investigation into the causes of the gas pipeline inferno in Putra Heights, which occurred on April 1, 2025.
While the blame game should be avoided at all costs at this juncture, as the priority now should be focused on saving the victims, a thorough investigation is, however, highly necessary so that the real culprits who caused the inferno may assume responsibility and, in turn, be brought to book.
It goes without saying that an in-depth investigation is inevitable, and it should leave no stone unturned.
Nonetheless the primary focus now should be on saving all the victims and providing them with all the required and necessary assistance. Scoring political mileage out of this national tragedy reflects political immaturity.
This unfortunate tragedy jogs our memory about the Bright Sparklers fireworks factory explosion on May 7, 1991, which left an indelible mark on residents of Kampung Baru Sungai Buloh.
In that calamity, things went south when explosive chemicals from the experiment spilt, sparking off fires that rapidly spread to a nearby pile of large firecrackers, known as “bazookas”.
The fires were then accompanied by a series of explosions that could be heard and felt as far as 10km away from the factory. Some even likened the Bright Sparklers blast to Malaysia’s version of the Hiroshima bombing.
The fiasco claimed 26 lives and injured 103 people. The factory was razed to the ground, and over 200 residential properties were also destroyed or badly damaged.
Police investigation not enough
As of April 2, 2025, it was reported that 305 people were affected in the Putra Heights explosion, including 104 who received treatment at various public and private hospitals.
To our relief, no deaths have been reported so far, and all victims are reported to have been in stable condition, although Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said some had suffered second- or third-degree burns.
While one may expect the police to conduct their quotidian investigations in finding the suspects who caused the tragedy, I am of the view that the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) would be proper and appropriate in not only carrying out profound and detailed investigations, but also in providing some useful recommendations and concrete measures to ensure this kind of calamity would not recur.
Establishing a royal commission in this type of catastrophe is definitely not without precedent. After the infamous Bright Sparklers fireworks factory explosion the government then decided to set up an RCI, which concluded that Bright Sparklers Sdn Bhd was responsible for the incident.
A slew of positive results also emerged thereafter. For instance, the relevant authorities officially closed the Bright Sparklers case in 2006.
In our present case, the gas pipeline, which is located in a residential area in Putra Heights, has become a major concern to many.
Assuming an RCI is duly established, it may, inter alia, factor in this issue as well. The Fire and Rescue Department’s Hazardous Material Unit Team, which specialises in handling chemicals and radiation, was also established after the Bright Sparklers incident.
Parliament also took proactive action. It legislated and passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994, essentially to highlight how crucial it was for employers to set up a safe working environment for their workers.
Transitioning to renewable energy
There is also another dimension to this tragedy which badly needs our deep reflection. Yes, it is on the issue of the environment.
As rightly pointed out by some NGOs, fossil gas pipeline leakages can cause a wide range of short and long-term health impacts. The global trend also seems to abandon fossil gas and, in turn, shift to renewable energy.
One cannot agree more with such an observation. Nonetheless, therein lies the big dilemma faced by many Asean countries, including Malaysia, in making decisions to shift to renewable energy.
In my article “Challenges in addressing energy justice in Asean” which is published in a book on “Energy Justice”, I wrote: “... in reality, Asean is in fact facing a herculean task in embarking on a low-carbon transition ie by shifting - in a gradual and piecemeal approachfrom fossil fuel to low-carbon energy. One of such enormous challenges is the ongoing dilemma of picking and choosing between two major priorities: either to succumb to international pressures by completely moving to renewable energy, thus disregarding the people’s plight, or to maintain the status quo by completely ignoring such international pressures.”
It is hoped there will be light at the end of the tunnel. - Mkini
MOHAMED HANIPA MAIDIN is a former de facto deputy law minister.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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