Petronas at fault, CEO should resign!

The judgement is out. Soil instability led to structural failure and consequently the gas pipeline exploded into an inferno at Putra Heights on the second day of Hari Raya.  

No amount of public relation and corporate communication gymnastics from Petronas media consultant, Accenture can relieve Petronas from being liable. The attitude of Petronas CEO in his limited and dry statements during the crisis confirmed it as admittance of guilt.

The long and short story is Petronas failed to monitor the structural integrity of the site. One can split hair in an attempt to raise doubts by asking the four W and one H questions and redirect responsibility to others such contractors, local authorities, monitoring system, etc. 

The duty of care lies with Petronas and no court could absolve them the responsibility for the damages it had caused to the residences. Too many legal precedents points back to Petronas. One should not be blinded by patriotism and be in a state of denial. Wrong is wrong. 

Corporate man and ex-Petronas Gas engineer, Tan Sri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir convinced the public that the maintainance of the pipeline adhere to high standards and it could last for 50 years. The assurance is short-lived.

Structural failure

The Star reported: 

Putra Heights inferno: Ground beneath pipe gave way, says report

By WANI MUTHIAH

NATION 

The Star Monday, 30 Jun 2025 6:06 PM MYT

SHAH ALAM: An investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Department has revealed that ground instability led to the gas pipeline explosion in Putra Heights.

The Petroleum Safety Department director, Husdin Che Amat, explained that the lower part of the pipeline was not adequately supported by the soft and moist ground.

"This caused a physical failure at the pipe segment at the location of the blast, resulting in gas leakage which ignited and exploded," he said.

Husdin added that the weak soil caused the pipe to move repeatedly, known as cyclic loading, generating stress lines and fatigue striations on the pipe surface.

Metallographic analysis indicated that tensile overload was the primary cause of the failure, developing slowly until it resulted in ductile failure, releasing gas and triggering a fire.

"In conclusion, the pipe failure was due to the ground beneath it not being strong enough to support its weight and pressure, causing instability, leakage, and eventually an explosion," Husdin said.

However, investigations found that the gas pipe met specified technical standards. The mishap was not due to surface activities but because the ground beneath did not provide adequate support.

Selangor police chief Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan confirmed there were no acts of sabotage or carelessness involved in the Putra Heights Petronas pipeline blast. [More news here]

Comm Hussein said police investigated the incident under Section 435 of the Penal Code for committing mischief by fire and Sections 285 and 286 for negligence with fire or combustible matter.

Investigations also focused on work carried out by contractors in the area.

Read on here. 

Syed Zainal need to explain himself. Star reported:

PETRONAS finds same issue like in Putra Heights along its 2,680km pipeline

By WANI MUTHIAH

NATION 

The Star, Monday, 30 Jun 2025 10:17 PM MYT

SHAH ALAM: PETRONAS has found some other parts of its long gas pipeline system that may be facing the same problem which had caused the Putra Heights underground pipeline to blow up.

Occupational Safety and Health Department (DOSH) Petroleum Safety Division director Husdin Che Amat said PETRONAS has been given instructions on the measures to be pursued following the discovery of the other possibly affected pipeline network.

“We have given the directive following Petronas identifying the locations similar to the Putra Heights location," Husdin said during a press conference at the state secretariat on Monday (June 30).

Although he did not specify the exact location of the pipelines that were identified as maybe having problems, Husdin said it was part of the 2,680km pipeline running from Kerteh to Segamat up to the border with Singapore, as well as from Pengerang to Segamat and right up to the border with Thailand.

He said discussions have been held with the oil and gas giant to explore long and short-term measures that can be initiated to remedy the matter.

Concern for public safety

Public has every right to be concern with their safety.

Report on inferno has residents worried about future safeguards

By BENJAMIN LEE and CHARLES RAMENDRAN

NATION

The Star Tuesday, 01 Jul 2025

PETALING JAYA: Findings of the investigation into the Putra Heights gas pipeline fire have triggered questions and concerns among those affected by the disaster.

The investigation concluded that soil instability caused a structural failure that allowed gas to leak and subsequently explode.

For Andy Fong, the report raises serious concerns about the reliability of the rest of the gas pipeline network that stretches across the peninsula.

He said the announcement of the findings did not reveal whether inspections will be or are being carried out throughout the underground passage of gas pipelines in the country to ensure another such disaster does not happen.

“We are now concerned for the safety of others who live close to gas pipelines in other parts of the country.

“If weak soil conditions led to the pipeline suffering a structural failure, then it leaves the rest of the pipelines across the country vulnerable to such deterioration.

“After what was revealed in the report, it is extremely worrying to think that such soil movements underground could go unnoticed until the damaged pipeline caused the inferno.

“After all, the pipelines are over 30 years old,” Fong told The Star.

Another affected homeowner, who only wanted to be known as Goh, wondered why monitoring systems had failed to detect the pipeline moving before it broke and went up in flames.

“I find it weird that none of the measurement systems they had picked up on any abnormalities as the pipeline moved repeatedly.

“Surely if the pipeline moved enough to form stress lines over a period of time, the gas pressure must have changed at least slightly and have been detected,” she said.

Another resident, father of three Norshahrizan Rosli, 39, said the report left him frustrated, as it did not seem to explain how the ground the pipeline was located in became waterlogged or who was at fault.

“From the many years I lived here, I never once saw water stagnating above the area where the pipeline is, and the report doesn’t explain how the soil became so soft and wet.

“It was all a technical explanation without any hint about who is at fault even after all these months.

“I just want answers about who is at fault so we can take legal action,” he said, adding that he and other victims are planning on taking legal action using the report as evidence.

Resident Dr Muhammad Azam Mokhtar, 36, said the report leaves him with more questions and worries than answers as efforts to restore the pipeline’s operation continue near his home.

“It’s worrying to know that it was caused by the land itself, especially since they did not provide any information about safety guarantees, safety measures taken, or whether there would at least be regular monitoring of the soil.

“It feels like whoever built the pipeline did not do their due diligence on soil conditions to ensure the pipeline would be secure over time, and they are still continuing to rebuild it.

“We residents who are still living here have been left hanging without any conclusion or plan while we live at risk, but my family has nowhere else to go,” said the father of two.

He added that his family is feeling extremely worried and scared, as work to construct a new valve for the pipeline has begun in front of his neighbour’s house.

They have every right to be worried. Much should be learned from this incident. Read Bernama here. 

Petronas failed! 

From Sarawak to 5,000 to be retrenched, and now Putera Heights, that is one failure after another. The aristocratic high nosed CEO should resign!