by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Penang on Friday, February 19, 1993:
The seven-hour 10 am to 5 pm power rotational power cuts in Penang are crippling businesses and industries and should be reduced to three hours immediately
The seven-hour 10 am to 5 pm power rotational power cuts in Penang are crippling businesses and industries and should be reduced to three hours immediately
The national power crisis in the country has reached such a critical situation that the people has no choice but to accept a load curtailment plan to save energy and avert a total power breakdown in the country worse than the Sept 29 nation-wide crisis, which erupted in the country worse than the Sept 29 nation-wide black-out last year.
The people and the consumers, however, have the right to make two demands as a result of the present nation-wide crisis, which erupted in the country completely without notice!
Firstly, any energy saving plan adopted should seek to minimize to the utmost losses and inconvenience to the public, whether individuals, business or industries by giving everyone adequate advance notice and this plan should be flexible and responsive to adjust to the hardships and problems created to the consumers;
Secondly, those in the Ministry of Energy, Posts and Telecommunications and TENAGA NASIONAL BHD who must bear responsibility for the nation-wide power crisis because of their colossal failure in forward-planning after the country has gone through six five-year Malaysian development plans should be summarily removed and replaced by a more competent and professional team.
In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that those in positions of responsibility in the Ministry of Energy, Posts and Telecommunications – particularly the Minister, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu – and TENAGA, have gravely undermined Malaysia’s investment climate and damaged the Malaysian economy because of the critical power crisis in the country.
Those who conceived a seven-hour rotational power cut in Penang and elsewhere have completely failed to take into account the adverse economic impact of such prolonged power disruptions on business and industries.
A three-hour rotational power cut will allow businesses and industries to make alternative arrangements to operate for half-day without having to stop operations altogether during such power cuts, thus reducing their losses.
DAP calls for emergency Penang State Assembly meeting on the power crisis and its effect on the state economy
The Penang State Government should regard the nation-wide power crisis as a great crisis for the Penang economy, and the Penang Chief Minister, Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, should summon an emergency meeting of the Penang State Assembly to explain what plans the State Government has prepared to face such a crisis to minimize the damage to the state economy.