Former Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has dismissed allegations linking him to the approval or prioritisation of any company under a renewable energy project aligned with Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR).
In a post on X, he described the claims as unfounded and based on a misunderstanding of the legal and governance framework governing the initiative.
He said memorandums of understanding (MoUs) signed between private entities under NETR are purely commercial collaborations and not government-awarded projects, nor do they involve ministerial approval.
“Recent allegations suggesting that I was involved in approving or favouring specific companies in relation to the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) are inaccurate and reflect a misunderstanding of the regulatory framework,” he said.
Nik Nazmi added that the project in question falls under the Corporate Renewable Energy Supply Scheme (CRESS), introduced in September 2024. The scheme allows corporate consumers to procure renewable electricity directly from energy developers through a third-party access model to the national grid.
Under the CRESS framework, agreements are negotiated and concluded commercially between private parties and are regulated by the Energy Commission and relevant grid operators in accordance with established guidelines, he said.
He stressed that the scheme does not involve direct government funding and does not require ministerial approval for individual corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs).
“MOUs of this nature signify private sector intent to explore investment opportunities consistent with NETR; they are not instruments of project award or preferential allocation by the government,” he said.
Nik Nazmi also noted that the issue surfaced shortly after he and seven other Members of Parliament called for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner to take leave pending an independent investigation into alleged corporate misconduct reported by Bloomberg.
He maintained that throughout his tenure, he adhered to principles of transparency, due process and institutional integrity, adding that renewable energy policies were designed to strengthen the ecosystem through clear and structured regulatory mechanisms rather than discretionary intervention in private commercial dealings.
