Statement by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang

Tenaga Nasional should learn from utility companies from other countries in the four-day 11th Conference of the Electricity Power Supply Industry beginning in KL tomorrow how to be one of the world’s most efficient utility models with least power disruptions

Tenaga Nasional will be playing host to the four-day 11th Conference of the Electricity Power Supply Industry in Kuala Lumpur which would be opened by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed.

Tenaga Nasional should learn from utility companies from other countries at the Conference how to be one of the world’s most efficient utility models with least power disruptions, instead of topping the world ranking with the most number of power disruptions.

Last week, Tenaga Nasional executive chairman, Datuk Dr. Ahmad Tajuddin Ali revealed that over the past year, a total of 149,682 power breakdowns were reported, and said that this represented a 48 per cent dip from the 280,663 breakdowns that were reported the previous years.

The Minister for Energy, Telecommunications and Posts, Datuk Leo Moggie was so happy with these new figures that he declared that Malaysia’s rate of power blackouts was relatively better than several other countries.

I cannot understand how the Minister for Energy could be happy that Tenaga Nasional only recorded 149,682 power breakdowns last year, which worked out to 12,000 power breakdowns a month, and could even boast that Malaysia’s rate of power blackouts was better than several other countries.

Of course, if government Ministers always compare Malaysia with the worst countries in the world, Malaysia will always be ahead of them. But is this in the spirit of Vision 2020 to become a fully developed nation in 24 years’ time?

Tenaga Nasional must be made to understand that having 149,682 power breakdowns is completely unacceptable.

Tajuddin has not given statistics about the number of power disruptions in the first nine months of this year. Apart from the 17-hour nation-wide blackout, there are indications that far from improving, the problem of power disruptions have gone from bad to worse - with many places in various parts of the country complaining of frequent power outages.

The Johore State Assembly was told a few days ago that there were a total of 1,039 power disruptions in Kluang in the first eight months of the year.

Last week, power was disrupted in Kuantan for two days.

The time has come for Tenaga Nasional to show greater responsibility, accountability, transparency and efficiency about the power outages by way of a daily bulletin reporting power disruptions in various parts of the country the previous 24 hours, the duration and cause for the disruption.

If Tenaga Nasional introduces such a daily bulletin reporting on the power outages for the previous 24 hours, it would imbue in the top management of Tenaga Nasional a culture of responsibility and accountability which is lacking at present.

Tenaga Nasional personnel should compare notes with the participants from utility companies from other countries to find out what are the countries which have a better record in terms of preventing power disruptions and learn how Tenaga Nasional could learn from them to provide steady and uninterrupted supply of electricity to Malaysian industry, business and users.

(20/10/96)