By Yasmin Ramlan
SHAH ALAM, July 9 — Gas pipelines nationwide, including the one involved in the April 1 Putra Heights explosion, were designed in accordance with international safety standards and included soil stability assessments, said state executive councillor for infrastructure and agriculture Dato’ Izham Hashim.
Citing the findings of the investigation into the Putra Heights blast, he said the pipeline was built according to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ (ASME) standards, which are globally recognised and adopted under the Energy Commission’s (EC) regulations.
“The (pipeline) design and specifications took into account ground conditions, including soil movement and structural support, (with) geotechnical studies conducted (beforehand),” he said in his wind-up speech on the gas pipeline explosion investigation report during the Selangor State Legislative Assembly session today.
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State executive councillor for infrastructure and agriculture Dato' Izham Hashim speaks during the Selangor State Legislative Assembly sitting at the State Secretariat Building in Shah Alam on July 7, 2025. — Picture by HARUN TAJUDIN/MEDIA SELANGOR[/caption]
Explaining the technical aspects of the investigation, Izham noted that Petronas Gas Bhd had supervised the sewer replacement works, which were linked to the explosion, near the pipeline blast site on March 27 and March 28, after the relevant permits were approved.
Meanwhile, Selangor Utility Corridor (Kusel) assisted with utility mapping and alignment planning. Despite the proximity of the sewer works, he said the explosion site was located about 35 to 40 metres from the nearest construction point.
“That distance is far from the location when (the explosion) occurred,” Izham said.
The councillor added that the investigation concluded that there was no evidence of human interference in the incident.
However, he emphasised the importance of regular maintenance of gas pipelines and called for stricter long-term safety measures, including physical barriers and better underground utility coordination.
“We are reviewing how we can further improve the system to make our pipelines safer and more secure.
“For your information, utility-related issues happen almost daily, including damaged cables and broken water pipes, due to the disorganised layout of our pipelines and cables.
“That is why we established Kusel to better coordinate utility layouts, although it may be a little too late, as underground infrastructure is already quite messy,” Izham said.
The state government has also engaged with Tokyo Gas and brought Petronas Gas officials to Japan to observe their pipeline systems, which remained functional even during severe earthquakes.
“Japan’s pipelines are much longer, and even during its largest earthquakes, not a single explosion occurred. The pipes bend, but they remain functional.
“We are studying how we can adopt similar practices here to enhance safety,” he said.
Izham also reiterated the state government’s commitment to strengthening infrastructure resilience and improving safety frameworks around utility installations.
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Members of the Malaysian Armed Forces helping to remove vehicles destroyed by the April 1 Putra Heights gas pipeline fire during the Mega Cleaning Operation to clear residents' homes at Putra Heights and Kampung Kuala Sungai Baru on April 12, 2025. — Picture by MOHD KHAIRUL HELMY MOHD DIN/MEDIA SELANGOR[/caption]
