What on earth are our energy planners thinking of?
First of all, we have 40 per cent reserve capacity in the peninsula. TNB is now paying capacity charges for electricity it buys from the independent power producers which it doesn’t need.
Then, there is the plan to transmit a huge chunk of the electricity from the Bakun Dam from Sarawak over to the peninsula via undersea cables. But hold on, the submarine cables, which would be the world’s longest, would now cost RM15 billion. Alamak! So how? Sime Darby has already pulled out from the project.
Now the peninsula has all this reserve electricity and Sarawak too has more than enough electricity, with the Bakun Dam in progress…
So what do they dream of next?
For the peninsula, the government has asked Tenaga to look at nuclear power. They are thinking of splurging RM10 billion for a 1,000MW nuclear facility. God help us.
And for Sarawak, in addition to the 2,400MW Bakun Dam, they want to add 12 more dams to “push the total generating capacity in the state to 7,000MW by 2020, an increase of more than 600% from the current capacity.” Gulp! How much will this madness cost? These guys have either gone cuckoo – or they have been blinded by $$$$$$. It’s a dam-building frenzy all right. How nice for CMS.
It’s big bucks for the boys in the construction of all these facilities.
But with the kind of lackadaisical maintenance culture that we have, I dread to think what could happen with a nuclear power plant or 12 more dams.
“A lot has to be done to change the public mindset when it comes to nuclear,” said Mohamad Zam Zam Jaafar, head of Tenaga’s nuclear energy taskforce.
Yeah, right.
And think of the destruction of the rainforests (what’s left of it).
As a country endowed with abundant sunlight, if we really want to look at renewable energy, shouldn’t we be conducting more research into solar energy? Penang should take the lead and position itself as a leading centre for solar energy research.
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I am disgusted, when are they going to realise that these plundering will only cause harm and destruction for our children, grand children . Those in power will probably go away with their loot to europe, swiss or ect while we normal malaysian loving people will be left to pick up the pieces.
Even countries like india and china are moving towards renewables , why not Malaysia? why nuclear ? answer is more to plunder. cost is paid by our next generation not only in terms of money but also standard of living with a polluted country.
let me single out some recent cases that epitomizes my worries
1)Bukit Antarabangsa – a disaster waiting to happen and warnings not heeded (which is quite like a nuclear plant)
2)PKFZ – nuclear plant costs balloons??
3)MRR2 – cracked bridge
4)countless faulty hospitals/white elephants
5)Terengganu stadium – only a year old. Roof collaspes
6)Dengue/ Nipah/ JE – denial, denial until the problem is too big to hide.
Faith in the government? I think id rather be called stupid
Energy is the currency in years to come! The U.S Dollar is fiat currency backed only by being the currency used in the international crude oil trade. The U.S. and its cohorts are trying their upmost influence and capabilities to prevent other nations from having its currency to be used for the international crude oil trade. Not only that, the U.S. is also determined to have complete monoploy and to have a tight grip on the common energy of the future, namely atomic energy and the production of uranium, in preparation for the eventual complete depletion of the global minerial… Read more »
With their record of poor quality and shoddy workmanship, I wouldn’t trust this HP6 Govt with nuclear power plants. We can have a Chernobyl at our doorsteps.
For once I hope they are kidding.
Dear Sir,
I don’t know if you’ve done this, but if you haven’t, I’d suggest you to read a book named “Confessions of an Economic Hitman” by John Perkins.
This dam-building craziness is much more complicated than what it looks like. There’s a lot of foreign influence on this matter, rather than just merely local politics.
I really do hope you read the book, and then hopefully come up with some ideas of how to stop Malaysia from being ripped like what has been done to Ecuador and a lot of other countries.
Thank you.
electricity gone up oil gone up … all these projects 4 what all these money can be spent wisely all u need 2 do is thinkla … spend on the people think of us for a change… d rkyat suffering they ask us to change our lifestyle …
its the dam(n) trees. just like bakun, rape teh forest first. whatever happens next, God bless Sarawak. if you want soem solid advise how to screw the environment and get waay scot free, please go and see the Sarawak Govt and her preferred contractor. Its used to be a listed group, which are in tatters now, but now its a company called U…… Of course, they shared a common personality. plunder, plunder before the people wake up to their senses to kick out the corrupt governemnt, just like the 5 states in Malaysia. Dont just blame T and his gang.… Read more »
The current government cant even manage and maintain their existing public asset properly and we, the public actually is gonna trust that they can run and maintain a nuclear power plant ….???????? you got to be kidding
anil, you got it right, it’s all the CMS. chief minister and sons
We’ll have the most expensive electricity in the world!
Its construction contract. Pure and simple. And the push for nuclear is being egged on. Really stupid when we have more than enough energy to … ehmm…… light up orang asli houses.
More dams means more site to be inundated meaning more areas that can be logged. The leaders of the state has found their days to be numbered and is rushing through to plunder the wealth of the state’s forest.
nuclear power plant (npp) is a must. it is proven save and easy to manage.npp now use both human and automatic system of safety. solar energy need too wide plate and/or area so is ridiculous to use. find full knowledge first before u objected something
I would like comment on recent Datuk Shahrir’s statement that it’s “Kerajaan Perompak” to ask the IPPs to reduce reserve/capasity power by half as though it’s like robbing from the IPPs profits. Well I remember quite recently Government contractors intent to renego the contracts offered cos they are unable coop with current constuction materials hike & they will go bankrup if government don’t step in to help them out. So what about renegociating with IPPs for reduction of the reserve capacity, it’s matter of demand & supply concept maa. We are not making IPPs bankrup, they will still make money… Read more »
Loot as much as you can as long as it lasts. Who say that there need to be a reason to do things. We build and build, needed or otherwise as we need to enrich our umnoputras/cronies who are bumiputras in the guise of the NEP. We need to achieve our bumi equity status even if it means building a dam on top of a dam or change cables of a bridge that did not need changing. This is affirmative action to uplift the melayu’s of our land. This is blind looting without any fear, they have no conscience, a… Read more »
Sweden is going nuclearless. Why? Yet bolihland wants to be the 1st ASEAN country to have nuclear power station. Why? In Sweden’s case it’s environmental & proper planning. Fuel prices stay high is a fact & yet with proper energy planning nuclear power station can remains optionless! In bolihland, ‘green’ remains the colour of Islam ONLY. What environmental effects u r talking about? Planning? Is it a joke? With hp6 ‘kaya mesti ada’ administrators, ill-trained & know-who engineers, couple with greedy & me-first pocketing politicians, plannings are just showcases to grab more money, & to stage maruah bangsa for the… Read more »
Talk about the dams in Sarawak? Hmmmm apparantly it seems that the government created an ecology disaster! My hometown is in Sibu, Sarawak (at the delta of the Mighty Rejang River) can clearly see the effect done by logging, jungle clearing and hydro dam developement up river.
Once a clean river now muddy and the river is getting shallow due to the mud that was washed from upriver. Even now at this moment I am typing this, we are experiencing floods! Yeap, flood in the month of July…. read the details here http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=38636
It’s a crazy scheme or more appropriately, scam. Bakun by itself is already way over capacity. The rationale for additional dams in Sarawak is simply this, it is (allegedly) to make the Taib family not just billionares which I have no doubt they already are, but one of the world’s richest family within the Fortune 500 list. The only way to stop the rape of the state is to have a new government.
Obviously last kopek story….trying to rip off as much money as possible by quasi legal/illegal means…..the lanun way….coded well in the DNA……..Sarawak’s electricity should be used to light up Sabah and Sarawak and if need be, potentially rewarding Kalimantan…..the country needs economic geniuses……there are enough pirates to last seven generations but not quite enough lawmen with b*** to put them in the slammer ….
TDM’s stupid project which when shelved sometime ago should have stayed shelved. Sime Darby got smart and pulled out from the project. There is a lost of 20% of power when the cable transfers electricity to the Peninsula, so much loss of power and sedimentation of the reservoir will also drop power output. So much forest and foliage and tribal lands lost – it should definitely be cancelled. Natives have more rights to their lands than to profit from the project. Another Dumb, stupid and irresponsible Umno/BN project that will cost tax-payers dearly but will benefit and enrich a lot… Read more »
Dear Anil
The rent-seeking schemes are getting wilder and wilder, aren’t they?
The clock is ticking towards the next General Election.
Grab while you still can!
Anil, Have you heard the term last kopek these guys will plunder till the very end but thank god we have the interpol to track them when there is a change of govt.
this is dam-nation. and meanwhile the americans set up a photovoltaic panel factory under our noses in kulim, can’t we get the hint?
We’re aiming to be a net exporter of electricity.
Well, now you know we have really power crazy leaders!!