Minister rapped over remarks on power tariff hike

SANDAKAN: Industrial Development Minister Datuk Raymond Tan Shu kiah has been taken to task for labelling those who objected to the power Tariff hike as having motive and hidden agenda.

Sandakan Chinese Chamber of Commerce (SCCC) Secretary Stephen Wong yesterday said on the contrary those supporting the increase in power traffic also harbour motive and hidden agenda.

“We just leave the matter to the people on the streets to see if Tenaga Nasional Berhad and Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd have valid reasons to impose the new power tariff.
The 25 per cent of domestic concumers would in turn bring about changes  in prices such as daily essential goods and services bringing a big impact on the cost of living on the people of Sabah which is 40 per cent less in income,” said Wong in a statement.

He was commenting on Tan’s statement that the new power traffic structure effective today, July 15, would not affect 75 per cent of domestic consumers in the state.

"Consumers with high power consumption will be changed a higher rate in order to curb wastage with the view to conserve our depleting power resources and to address climate change. The more energy we consume and the less we pay is no longer suitable to us under the current condition.

"Therefore the hike on power tariff is not only to accommodate household consumers and the industrial sector but also the government," Tan told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday.

However, Wong said that TNB earned more than RM11 billion per year while Sabahans continue to be the poorest people in Malaysia is a fact of life.

“It is also unfair to compare Sabah with West Malaysia as we are still backward in terms of infrastructure development and income wise. There are also no or less power failures in West Malaysia,” he added.

Wong said that SCCC supports The environmental and green policy towards global wariring.

Meanwhile, Sabah Progressive party (SAPP) Elopura chairman Liau Fook Kong also echoed Wong’s view that the Barisan Nasional government at the federal and state levels must be held responsible for the insufficient supply of electricity to the consumers.

Such ineffective administration of the State by TNB made the people suffer mental torture and financial losses, Liau said.