The Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) said that based on a study it published, reporting and data on GHG emissions were lacking. It added that uneven requirements to disclose such information allowed high-emission practices to go unchecked.

To compound matters, the fragmented directives across ministries and agencies weaken coordination and regulation, it said.

C4 also said that foreign-owned steel producers operate carbon-intensive technologies with limited scrutiny.

“Existing governance gaps in Malaysia’s steel industry risk undermining the country’s climate commitments unless stronger transparency and regulatory reforms are implemented,” it said in a statement.

Apart from making GHG data public, C4 also called on the government to make it mandatory for the industry to produce emissions reports.

They also proposed that the government enact a Climate Change Act that sets enforceable emissions thresholds, reporting obligations, and penalties for non-compliance.

“We also recommend the setting up of a central climate governance mechanism to align industrial, energy, and climate policies across ministries and regulatory agencies.”