The Star : Rafidah fuming over power snag

The Star Online > Nation

Wednesday September 14, 2005

Rafidah fuming over power snag

BY LEE YUK PENG AND M. KRISHNAMOORTHY

MALACCA: Tens of millions of ringgit in losses have been incurred by
manufacturers because factories cannot get electricity supply.

In fact, Petronas Oil Refinery lost RM86mil because of power cuts.

This shocking fact was brought up to the attention of International
Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz when she attended
the Southern Region Investment and Trade Dialogue here yesterday.

Rafidah, who was taken aback, said: ?This is unbelievable. I never
expect to hear this in this age.?

IT IS UNACCEPTABLE: Rafidah said she never expect to hear factories
not getting power supply at this time and age. On the left is Mohd
Ali.
This came about when Bruce Anson, chief operating officer of Quantum
Structural Membranes Sdn Bhd, told her that his factory in Ayer Keroh
Industrial Area was still without

power supply despite paying RM36,200 in deposits and other required
costs.

?The answer given to us by TNB is that they have no budget for pipes,?
Anson told Rafidah.

The minister immediately asked a TNB officer for an explanation.

However, he was from Johor, so he could not provide an answer.

When Rafidah asked how much profit Tenaga made last year, the officer
replied: ?RM1.4bil.?

Richard Yeo, a representative from BIM Technologies Sdn Bhd, also
related the problem of having no power supply in Taman Tasik Utama,
which is located next to the Malacca International Trade Centre.

Rafidah, who is scheduled to leave for the United States to meet
investors there today, said: ?How am I going to tell the US investors
in Silicon Valley to come to Malaysia but please do not go to Taman
Tasik Utama??

Another representative of a Taiwanese investor in Sungai Rambai
Industrial Estate said they faced the same problem despite paying TNB
all the necessary costs.

?Power disruptions take place almost once a month,? said the
representative, whose employer had invested RM20mil here.

A representative from the Petronas Oil Refinery in Sungai Udang spoke
about losing RM86mil after several power cuts.

Rafidah said that an industrial area with no power supply was an
unacceptable situation.

Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, who was once a TNB
clerk years ago, said there was something wrong with the TNB
administration here.

Rafidah said she would raise the matter at today?s Cabinet meeting.

TNB senior manager (media relations) Syed Hidzam Osman said the
headquarters would check with the Malacca side as to why there was
interruption in electricity supply in the industrial area.

?We take all these complaints seriously and will investigate the
problems encountered by the factories in Malacca,? he added.
.