By Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Friday, 26th February 1993:
DAP calls for a Special Cabinet meeting on the National Energy Crisis to approve a White Paper for Parliament on March 8
Public confidence in the Ministry of Energy, Telecommunications and Posts and TENAGA NASIONAL BHD have fallen so low that Malaysians were not impressed by assurances on Wednesday that the electricity supply situation in the peninsula was stable and that there were no plans for load-shedding.
And sure enough, on the same day that such an assurance was given by Energy, Telecommunications and Posts Secretary-General Datuk Helmi Mohamed Noor, the businesses and residents in one of the biggest housing estates in Johore Bahru – Taman Sentosa – were going through a 22-hour power blackout from 4 p.m. on Wednesday to 2 p.m. on Thursday.
The credibility of the Ministry of Energy, Telecommunications and Posts and TENAGA NASIONAL BHD have suffered irreparable damage, claming firstly that there was no cause of national energy crisis. Then announcing that the country must face a national energy crisis for one year, and now saying that the electricity supply situation had become stable.
Malaysians are entitled to a frank, full and authoritative account of the national energy crisis facing the country, and this is why DAP has called on the Prime Minister to present a White Paper on the National Energy Crisis in the Dewan Rakyat at its special sitting on March 8.
The question is whether the Government is in a position to present such a White Paper in ten days’ time.
With the inefficiency and incompetence shown by the Ministry of Energy, Telecommunications and Posts and TENAGA NASIONAL BHD, in allowing the country to be caught by surprise by a national energy crisis, the people will not be surprised if they are incapable of providing the information, materials and data necessary for the preparation for such a White Paper on the National Energy Crisis.
The Cabinet should hold a special meeting on the National Energy Crisis and approve a White Paper for Parliament on March 8, or publicly acknowledge that it is incapable of presenting such a White Paper whether because of not enough time or lack of information, data and materials.