KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 14): Puchong Member of Parliament Yeo Bee Yin has called on the government to scale up solar and energy-saving upgrades in 10,500 government buildings to help Malaysia reach its net-zero carbon goal.

The former minister of energy, science, technology, environment and climate change between 2018 and 2020 proposed using the Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) model, where private companies fund the upgrades and share the electricity bill savings with the government.

Yeo added that if structured well, the model could attract bank financing, making it easier for companies to fund these projects.

“If planned correctly, the EPC approach can deliver triple wins for the government — reducing carbon emissions, lowering electricity bills, and boosting the growth of the renewable energy industry,” she said during the debate on Budget 2026 in Parliament on Tuesday.

“Most importantly, this can be achieved without the government having to commit large upfront expenditure,” she added, expressing hope that the proposal would be seriously considered.

Malaysia has stepped up its efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions as part of the global fight against climate change.

The government has introduced several key policies and frameworks, including the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), the Hydrogen Economy and Technology Roadmap (HETR), and the upcoming Climate Change Act.

Under the NETR, Malaysia has committed to achieving 70% renewable energy capacity and aims to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.