Presidency Defends CNG Vehicles’ Safety

• Clarifies issues around Malaysia’s phase-out plans

BY EDMOND ODOK – Amid phase-out plans embarked upon by the Malaysian government, the Presidency says has allayed fears that the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative of President Bola Tinubu’s government could be dangerous.

The Presidency assurance is against the backdrop of a local media source, Free Malaysia Today, which quoted Malaysia’s Transport Minister, Anthony Loke as announcing several measures aimed at phasing out the use of CNG for vehicles and CNG-powered vehicles.

The source stated that citing safety concerns on Thursday, Loke said CNG (NGV in Malaysia)-powered vehicles will no longer be registered for used in Malaysia commencing from 1st July 2025.

According to the Transport Minister, the measure is being taken to ensure the safety of road users and the public, noting that there were only about 44,383 CNG vehicles currently, accounting for just 0.2% of vehicles, excluding motorcycles being used across the country.

The  Free Malaysia Today further quoted Loke as saying that; “The NGV tanks of these vehicles are now reaching the end of their service life and need to be replaced, and NGV tanks typically have a safe usage period of 15 years”.

However, reacting to the development, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained that the current policy change in Malaysia was due to issues around the safety of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and the CNG as being speculated.

In a post on his X handle, Onanuga said Malaysia’s decision to shift away from petrol and diesel had been largely ineffective, with just 0.2% of vehicles converted over 15 years, while Nigeria’s positive advancements in tank manufacturing capacity has set it apart as a key game-changer.

Clarifying the issues at stake, the Presidential Aide wrote; “Some clarification on Malaysia’s plan to phase out CNG-powered vehicles. The Malaysian issue relates to the safety of LPG, NOT CNG.

“In the original report, Transport Minister Anthony Loke stated, ‘There are also some car owners who have modified their vehicles using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, which are very dangerous.’

“NGV covers both CNG and LPG. Nigeria, in its transition, has adopted CNG ONLY, not both, due to valid safety and cost concerns regarding LPG.

“Malaysia’s programme for CNG-powered vehicles struggled, achieving only a 0.2% conversion rate over 15 years. By contrast, nations like India, China, Iran, and Egypt have seen considerable success.

“The end of the 15 year CNG tank cycle means they need to replace tanks and it was easier/cheaper to scrap their program and continue with their petrol than to do so if they had not built tank manufacturing capacity which Nigeria is already developing in year one.”