KUCHING, Oct 11 — Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen today urged the state government to focus on how to use the hydroelectricity to attract good investment instead of selling it to Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia.
He said hydroelectricity is considered clean energy that has become a valuable commodity where many countries and companies are racing to lower greenhouse gas emissions, while many companies also need clean energy to fulfil their zero carbon emission target in five to 10 years’ time.
“Therefore, the Sarawak government should leverage on this to attract foreign investment and even Peninsular Malaysia companies to set up their plants and offices in Sarawak,” the Stampin MP said when responding to Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg’s statement that Sarawak had signed an agreement to sell 1,000 megawatts of electricity to Singapore.
The premier had also said that the state might sell electricity to West Malaysia with the condition of undersea cables being constructed across the South China Sea.
Chong said while the sale of clean energy to Singapore and West Malaysia can fetch good prices, it will not generate industrial development and more domestic employment in Sarawak.
“Furthermore, when companies in Singapore and the peninsula obtain their clean energy thus making their products 'green' and more saleable, it indirectly poses further competition for Sarawak entrepreneurs,” he said, adding that this will stifle the industrial growth in Sarawak.
He said selling the electricity is similar to Sarawak in the past decades selling crude oil and gas to other countries.
“We may get the royalties and sales taxes, but our youths have to go out of Sarawak to look for good jobs,” he said, stating that the state government should learn its lesson and not repeat the same mistake.
He said if companies in Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia need clean energy, then let them come and set up their plants and offices in Sarawak, not supply them with clean energy which does not create additional job opportunities for the local communities.
“While the GPS government can boast of having a lot of money and being the richest state government in Malaysia, our people’s mean or medium income is still way below the national mean or medium income level,” he said.
Chong called on the state government to stop the negotiation for the sale of electricity to Singapore and peninsular Malaysia, and to entice good and high value-added foreign direct investment and even domestic direct investment with the state’s clean energy.
