Photo 1. Bilateral courtesy engagement between the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) and senior officials of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability of Malaysia and MGTC.
On 27 April 2026, the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) participated in the ASEAN Energy Management Scheme (AEMAS) Energy Management Gold Standard (EMGS) Award Ceremony, hosted by the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC) at EQ Hotel Kuala Lumpur. Held under the theme "Celebrating Excellence in Energy Management: Advancing ASEAN’s Journey from AEMAS towards SAEMAS," the ceremony recognised Malaysian organisations that have successfully implemented disciplined energy management systems certified under the EMGS framework. The event also marked a regional milestone in marking more than a decade of sustained AEMAS implementation in Malaysia under MGTC’s coordination since 2010.
The ceremony was officiated by the Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) of Malaysia Dato’ Sri Arthur Joseph Kurup, and was attended by Deputy Minister Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, Datuk Nor Yahati Awang (Deputy Secretary General for Environmental Sustainability, NRES), Saiful Adib Abd Munaff (Acting Group Chief Executive Officer of MGTC), as well as representatives from the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA), Suruhanjaya Tenaga, and recipient organisations from across the public, healthcare, commercial, and education sectors.
Photo 2. ACE and MGTC delegations in discussion ahead of the ceremony, reflecting the longstanding partnership underpinning AEMAS implementation in Malaysia.
Representing the ASEAN Centre for Energy at the ceremony was a delegation led by Dr Andy Tirta, Manager of Corporate Affairs at ACE, who delivered the welcoming remarks on behalf of the Executive Director of ACE, Dato’ Ir. Ts. Razib Dawood. He was accompanied by Rio Jon Piter Silitonga from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Department of ACE, who joined the ceremony as part of ACE’s ongoing engagement on AEMAS implementation, the development of the Sustainable ASEAN Energy Management Scheme (SAEMAS), and broader cooperation under the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2026 to 2030 Programme Area 4 on Energy Efficiency and Conservation.
In his Welcoming Remarks, Dr Andy conveyed ACE’s congratulations to every recipient, describing each EMGS certificate on stage as "independent, measured evidence that disciplined energy management delivers real and sustained results." He further acknowledged Malaysia’s position as one of ASEAN’s most advanced jurisdictions in institutionalising energy efficiency, citing the cumulative electricity savings of more than 60,000 GWh achieved under the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan 2016 to 2025, the entry into force of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act 2024, and the placement of energy efficiency at the top of the National Energy Transition Roadmap.
Dr Andy noted that under APAEC Phase III 2026 to 2030, the region has already reduced energy intensity by 24.5 per cent compared to 2005 and emphasised that continued ministerial support for the EMGS in Malaysia will help ASEAN make even greater progress towards the regional energy intensity reduction targets.
Photo 3. Dr Andy Tirta of ACE, delivering welcoming remarks.
A key focus of ACE’s engagement at the ceremony was understanding why AEMAS has remained active in Malaysia for over a decade, while similar regional certification schemes in ASEAN have struggled to maintain demand after initial donor funding. The Malaysian case shows that AEMAS endures because it is bundled with the Energy Management Gold Standard (EMGS).
Under this bundled approach, the two AEMAS components reinforce one another. The Energy Manager Training Course (EMTC) produces the certified workforce, with 2,475 Certified Energy Managers (CEMs) certified across Malaysia to date through 154 EMTC training rounds, while the EMGS facility-level certification creates the institutional demand that gives those certified professionals something concrete to do. EMGS implementation requires trained energy managers; the presence of trained energy managers, in turn, makes EMGS implementation feasible. Each pillar generates demand for the other.
The results highlight the effectiveness of this approach. As of 31 December 2025, 205 organisations in Malaysia have been certified under EMGS, including 165 healthcare facilities, 27 office buildings, 9 education facilities, and 4 industrial sites. Among these, 166 achieved 2 Star certification, 157 achieved 3 Star certification, and 74 completed a 3 Star renewal assessment. EMGS implementation delivers 227.91 GWh in annual energy savings, RM 83.19 million in cost savings, and 164.11 ktCO₂e in emission reductions. Additionally, 95 per cent of stakeholders report satisfaction with the assessment process.
Importantly, demand for EMGS continues to grow. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act (EECA) 2024 now requires relevant energy consumers to institutionalise energy management practices, making EMGS the leading ASEAN-aligned solution. Demand for EMGS certification has risen, especially among government facilities and large energy consumers regulated under EECA. This regulatory requirement has also increased participation in EMTC training, with 343 new participants in 2024, the highest annual intake since the programme began in 2009.
ACE emphasized that this is not just a national achievement but a regional design lesson. A professional certification programme without an institutional certification that creates ongoing demand is likely to decline once donor support ends. The Malaysian AEMAS and EMGS bundle shows that combining individual and facility-level certification, supported by national legislation, ensures long-term sustainability.
Photo 4. Group photo of EMGS Certificate recipient organisations together with the officiating dignitaries from NRES, MGTC, and ACE.
In his remarks, Dr Andy was unambiguous that AEMAS, and the EMGS it underpins, will continue to be recognised at the regional level. ACE is at the same time advancing the Sustainable ASEAN Energy Management Scheme (SAEMAS) as a regional upgrade pathway under APAEC 2026 to 2030 Programme Area 4 and the Philippine ASEAN Chairship 2026. SAEMAS introduces a regional two-tier certification structure for energy management practitioners (EMP and S-EMP), supported by a Common Standard Module and a Regional Accreditation Body and Centre hosted, in its initial phase, by ACE.
ACE proposed that Malaysia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, Suruhanjaya Tenaga, and MGTC, explore a dual-track approach. Under this model, AEMAS would continue to support EMGS and its broad application in government, healthcare, and commercial buildings, while SAEMAS would introduce a regional track for professionals seeking cross-border recognition across the eleven ASEAN Member States. Given Malaysia’s sustained participation in the earlier regional scheme from 2010 to 2014, ACE considers Malaysia well positioned to pilot this dual-track and guide its regional expansion.
During the ceremony, the ACE delegation met with MGTC leadership to discuss renewing MGTC’s appointment as AEMAS Country Coordinator for the 2026–2031 cycle, the proposed appointment of MGTC as SAEMAS Country Coordinator for Malaysia, updates to EMTC training modules to align with EECA 2024 and Sabah’s Energy Management and Energy Efficiency Regulations 2024, and a joint communication strategy to support the AEMAS to SAEMAS transition among Malaysian stakeholders.
Closing his remarks, Dr Andy reaffirmed ACE’s commitment to working with Malaysia to achieve the region’s shared energy intensity reduction targets and thanked every recipient organisation for what each EMGS certificate represents: "evidence that well measured, well managed energy use is both profitable and replicable”. The ceremony stood as both a celebration of Malaysia’s decade of leadership under AEMAS and EMGS, and a clear signal of the path forward, anchored in national institutions, sustained by the bundling of individual and facility level certification, and progressively connected to a regional scheme that opens cross border mobility for ASEAN’s energy efficiency workforce.
About AEMAS and EMGS
The ASEAN Energy Management Scheme (AEMAS) is a regional ASEAN initiative developed and supported by the highest energy authorities and agencies of ASEAN, including the 10 ASEAN Ministers of Energy. AEMAS comprises two complementary components: the certification of individual energy managers, delivered through the Energy Manager Training Course (EMTC), and the Energy Management Gold Standard (EMGS), a facility level certification awarded to end user organisations that demonstrate structured energy management practice. ACE serves as the regional operator of the scheme, while National Coordinators implement AEMAS at country level.
MGTC has served as AEMAS Country Coordinator for Malaysia since 2010 and as the official project implementer for AEMAS in Malaysia since 12 July 2021. Over more than a decade of implementation, MGTC has delivered 154 EMTC training rounds producing 2,475 Certified Energy Managers and has overseen 601 EMGS assessments certifying 205 organisations across the country.
Further information on AEMAS is available through the ASEAN Centre for Energy at https://aseanenergy.org.
