'Autocratic' Sarawak govt slammed over Sesco

By FTM staff

KUCHING: A leader of PKR Sarawak, Dominique Ng, has slammed the state government for being autocratic in dealing with public properties.

Ng, who is Padungan state assemblyman, was commenting on the government's “flip-flop” over the privatisation of the Sarawak Electricity Supply Corporation (Sesco).

He said that the State Legislative Assembly had approved the privatisation of Sesco in 2004 but in just five years, the Barisan Nasional government had a change of mind.

It offered and has bought back all the privately owned shares of Sarawak Energy Bhd. Notice was given on the website and in national dailies on Nov 30 and Dec1, 2009.

“From public to private-owned in 2004, then back to government-owned in 2009: a major state asset has been tossed about twice without prior public hearing or consultation," said Ng.

“The rakyat have been kept in the dark. The government’s arrogance in denying the public any say in governance and in major public policy matters shows that it is non-transparent.

“Without explanation to the public, the government has bought back all the privately-owned shares of Sarawak Energy in 2009,” he said.

Cash-rich asset

Ng pointed out that Sesco was a cash-rich asset of the Sarawak government.

“What is the state of Sesco/Sarawak Energy now, following the privatisation in 2004 and de-privatisation in 2009?” he asked.

“This has become a pattern of the autocratic behaviour of the BN government. Sell at its whim, buy back on a fancy, motivated by greed -- whether it is Sesco, native customary rights land or Kuching government land,” he added.

"The BN government owes an explanation to the people of Sarawak: it must make available all annual financial reports of Sesco/Sarawak Energy from 2004 to 2009 to the public for scrutiny."

He said that while consumers suffered, Sarawak Energy made substantial profit. In 2005, the pre-tax profit was RM95 million compared with RM75 million in 2004.

“The government handed Sesco to Sarawak Energy without the latter having to pay, but the government had to pay a high sum on the buy-back offer,” he said.