Thursday 2 August 2012

SEB gets DAP ‘ultimatum’ over RM30m loan


Why has Sarawak Energy Berhad appointed a company whose bid 
was RM100 million more than the lowest entry?
KUCHING: Sarawak DAP has given state-owned Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) one-week to disclose details of loans worth RM30 million which it took or face an official complaint being lodged with the Registrar of Companies.
SEB is registered under the Companies Act 1965, and under this Act any member of the public wishing to get details of the companies can do so after paying a sum of RM2.00.
Last week Sarawak DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen accompanied by three other DAP leaders had approached SEB at its headquarters and offered to pay RM4.00 for documents relating to two Sukuk loans of RM15 billion each.
Chong, who is Kota Sentosa assemblyman and MP for Bandar Kuching, was told by an officer that he had to get the permission of his bosses before he could issue the documents.
“The legal requirement is that any person can search any company’s charged documents and he should be allowed to inspect the charged document upon payment of RM2.00.
“I obliged to the request of the officer, and yet until today I have not heard anything from SEB.
“SEB which is wholly owned by the state government has a duty to the people of Sarawak. Like other companies, it is also subject to the legal requirement allowing the disclosure of the charged documents for inspection by the public.
“I urge SEB to abide by the requirement and to allow us to inspect the charged documents as we want to know the securities for the payment of the Sukuk loans of RM15 billion each.
“I give SEB next week to provide me the details of the RM30 billion, failing which I will make an official complaint with the Registrar of companies,” Chong added.
SEB, a bully
In a related development, Chong questioned the motive of SEB continuing the practice of changing old electrical meters of house owners alleging that the meters were too slow.
In the case of house owner Chong Chan Choon, he was charged RM10,717.77 as arrears for 36 months, plus RM400 administrative fee and RM500 for the new meter.
The total amount Chong need to pay stood at RM11, 617.77.
“I have gone through the records of the account holder’s monthly electricity consumption before and after the change of the meter on Jan 12, 2012.
“There is not much difference in his monthly electricity consumption before and after the change of the meter.
“This is another typical case of exploitation and bullying of the consumers by a monopoly utility company.
“SEB just applies whatever method of calculation which works to its advantage and then charge its customers exorbitant charges based on such biased calculation.
“Why is SEB so desperate to get more revenue that it will go all out and by hook or by crook to squeeze its customers?
“Is SEB so short of revenue that it has to anyhow charge its customers?” he asked.
Chong said he was recently informed of two incidents of extravagance on SEB’s part – raising the Sukuk loan of RM15 billion and trying to award the 500kV transmission line project to a company owned by the family member of Sarawak Chief Minister.
The later, he said, was despite the fact that the company had submitted a bid which was RM100 million more than the lowest bid.
“Is it because of the required interest repayment of the Sukuk loan and the costs of cronyism that SEB now has to make baseless and exorbitant claims against its customers?

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