A coalition of environmental organizations is demanding a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the 2025 gas pipeline explosion, alleging that a previous government probe failed to address critical safety failures and environmental damage.

Greenpeace Malaysia, RimbaWatch, and the Artivist Network issued the call on Wednesday following the release of a policy brief titled "Putra Heights One Year On: Unanswered Questions Remain." 

The groups argue the initial investigation by a Parliamentary Special Select Committee lacked independence because it collaborated with the entities involved in the blast. The explosion, caused by geotechnical soil subsidence, injured more than 110 people and damaged 500 homes.

The advocates are specifically highlighting the Peninsular Gas Utilization Phase II pipeline’s proximity to suburban neighborhoods. 

According to the policy brief, historical planning documents show the pipeline was routed through residential zones, yet the parliamentary probe ignored concerns regarding land-use and inadequate safety buffer zones that reportedly fall below international standards.

"Given that past safety assurances have been inadequate to protect residents along pipelines, we seek to overhaul this system," said Adam Farhan, director of RimbaWatch. 

Farhan noted that Malaysia’s fossil gas infrastructure has a history of instability, citing five separate incidents involving the Sabah-Sarawak Gas Pipeline between 2014 and 2022.

The coalition also questioned why advanced monitoring systems failed to detect the ground deformation that led to the disaster. 

Furthermore, the groups criticized a lack of transparency regarding whether Environmental Impact Assessments were ever conducted for the specific segment of the pipeline.

The environmental toll remains a primary concern since the blast released approximately 400 million standard cubic feet of gas—equivalent to 27,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. 

Advocates warn that the resulting greenhouse gas emissions and combustion by-products pose long-term health risks to the 600 households evacuated during the crisis.

"The lack of risk awareness and emergency preparedness has only deepened the physical and emotional toll on residents," said Hamizah Shamsudeen, a campaigner for Greenpeace Malaysia.

The groups are urging the government to establish an independent commission with full investigative powers to review pipeline safety standards and assess the total impact on public health.