00:01Sarawak's hydrogen power experiment has come under scrutiny by the opposition,
00:06with DAP's Violet Yong citing frequent breakdowns of its first three hydrogen-powered buses.
00:12In an interview with FMT, Yong said the buses, which began service in 2020 and cost 2.2 million ringgit each,
00:19have been constantly breaking down despite hydrogen vehicles typically lasting about 20 years.
00:25She said repairs often take days or weeks, making the service unreliable,
00:29adding that the buses were already showing strain shortly after operations began.
00:34Last October, Sarawak Metro Sindiran Berhad awarded a 122 million ringgit contract for 55 hydrogen-powered buses
00:43to SKS coachbuilder Sindiran Berhad and Sun Credit Sindiran Berhad for its hydrogen-based autonomous rapid transit system
00:50under the Kuching Urban Transportation System project.
00:54Yong argued that the ART system is as costly as the previously proposed 10.8 billion ringgit LRT project,
01:00with green hydrogen production still underdeveloped in Malaysia and minimal use of hydrogen refueling stations.
01:06She pointed to other countries like Japan, South Korea and Indonesia abandoning hydrogen buses
01:12and criticized the lack of clear information on ART's technology, fares, routes and supporting infrastructure.
01:20Yong questioned whether Sarawak's small population justified the investment
01:24and suggested starting with electric buses before committing to costly hydrogen initiatives.
01:29Donor Charger RZA, FMT.
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