Policy momentum and hydrogen deployment readiness in Malaysia and Southeast Asia

Hydrogen development in Southeast Asia is advancing from national strategies to industrial projects, but announced capacity remains a poor proxy for low-emissions deployment. This structured critical narrative review evaluates Malaysia within the wider Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) hydrogen system using an evidence base updated to 4 October 2026. Southeast Asia consumed about 4 Mt of hydrogen in 2024, while announced low-emissions production to 2030 totalled about 480 kt yr−1 and only 6% had reached final investment decision in the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) 2025 regional assessment. Malaysia is a useful focal case because it combines substantial methanol and refining demand, renewable-resource options, oil-and-gas capabilities, and federal and state hydrogen initiatives. We synthesise peer-reviewed lifecycle and techno-economic studies with primary policy, standards, certification and market evidence. The review distinguishes four questions that are often conflated: technical conformity, reproducible lifecycle carbon performance, monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) and independent assurance, and destination-market eligibility. The regional statistics establish a gap between announcements and investment commitment; they do not establish verification as its principal cause. A comparison of three Malaysian public project records and an illustrative pathway-to-scheme mapping identify what can be assessed and what remains undisclosed. We conclude with six testable research questions for production pathways, derivative chains, electricity attribution, offtake, heavy-duty transport and certificate interoperability.