Malaysia is currently a net exporter of energy. In 2001, the country registered a total net export of 26,311 KTOE. The largest export was LNG, followed by crude oil. The country, however, is a net importer of coal (mostly to meet the needs of electricity generation). In the not so distant future (as near as 2008), Malaysia will be a net importer of oil products, and the nation will have to face the economic consequences of this, including the issue of security of energy supply from foreign resources.

The Malaysian Government has taken steps to meet this new challenge in the energy sector by promoting renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE). One of the EE options currently being developed is the promotion of energy efficient appliances. For the industrial sector, a labeling program for motors is currently being developed. For the domestic sector, energy efficient refrigerators have been chosen as the first contender for the promotion. This paper will only discuss the development of energy labeling in the domestic sector.

Author: Faridah bte Mohd Taha, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Information from: the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Seminar on Cooperation on Energy Labeling