Ensure SESB will not have to bear any costs: SAPP

Published on Daily Express: Sunday, February 20, 2011

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Kota Kinabalu: The State Government must make sure that the Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) will not have to bear any costs and compensation following the scrapping of the proposed coal-fired power plant.
"Costs and compensation - what are the costs incurred by TNB (Tenaga Nasional Berhad) and SESB so far, and what is the quantum of compensation to be paid to the China contractor?
"Or will the China contractor simply walk away quietly without any compensation for the cancellation of the contract signed with TNB in February 2008?" Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President Datuk Yong Teck Lee asked.
He said the State Government, which is a 30 per cent shareholder in SESB, must make sure that SESB does not bear any of the costs and compensation.
"If SESB were made to bear part of the costs and compensation, then such costs will inevitably be passed on to Sabah consumers.
This we will fervently object," he said in a statement, Saturday.
He said as the people of Sabah heaved a sigh of relief that "Sabah people power" has defeated the "bullying tactics" of the BN government over the coal-fired power plant proposal in Sabah, some remaining matters need to be addressed by the Government.
He said the controversial coal plant was one of two coal electricity generation plants announced by the Prime Minister when tabling the 10th Malaysia Plan (2011 to 2015) in Parliament on June 10 last year.
"Therefore, at the coming parliamentary sitting, the people of Sabah expect a supplementary budgetary provision to be made for the laying of a natural gas pipeline from Kimanis to Sandakan and the construction of a 300MW combined-cycle gas-fired power plant in Sandakan.
"If there is no such financial provision and no alternative power generation for Sabah, then the people are entitled to believe that the BN will revive the coal power plant project after the general election," he said.
Yong said SAPP hoped the Sabah BN elected representatives had learnt their lesson not to blindly support anything that comes from their Kuala Lumpur bosses "because these BN YBs have been exposed as ignorant sycophants seeking to please their bosses instead of fighting for the people."
He said the Prime Minister had, in September 2009, declared in Tawau that, as "Menteri Felda", he had decided that the coal plant would be sited in Felda Sahabat at Tungku in Lahad Datu.
That was after the coal plant project had faced massive people power protests in Sandakan after having been kicked from Silam in Lahad Datu to Seguntur in Sandakan in 2008.
"Taking the cue to please the Prime Minister, several Sabah BN YBs hurled abuses at SAPP's assembly persons in the Sabah Legislative Assembly during the debate on the coal plant issue.
While in Parliament, SAPP's two MPs debated not less than 10 times on this issue.
SAPP, he said, would henceforth continue its solidarity with the campaign against the Kaiduan and Tambatoun mega dams proposals until similar success is achieved.
The rejection of the coal-fired power plant proved that when the Sabah people are brave and united in purpose and committed, then the people can win and not be taken for granted like fixed deposits by the BN.