Save Sandakan

BAKUN – When There’s NO WILL, There’s NO WAY

An Observer

[Note: A shorter, pure-text version of this article was published as “Bakun Supply Can If There’s a Will” by Daily Express on Sunday, 26 July 2009, page 19. The author thanks that Newspaper for publishing it despite the space constraint, but there were some misprints due to unavoidable editing. Hence, the full, ‘Director’s Cut’ version is reproduced here.]

WHO LIED ABOUT BAKUN??

1. “Sorry, No More. All Sold Out.”

Tan Sri Leo Mogie, TNB Chairman, said to Sabahans

2. “Indonesia, We Have More! Wanna buy?”

Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak, Prime Minister, said to Indonesian President

(see paragraph 11(b)

1. I refer to “SESB explains on Bakun supply” Friday, 29 May 2009, Daily Express (Bahasa Malaysia version is “SESB/TNB Utama Bekalan Kukuh & Stabil” Posted on SESB’s website on 28 May 2009), and the brilliant and highly sophisticated letter written by one ‘Green Power Engineer’ “Heroes of anti-coal group include rich oil palm bosses”, (Daily express 5 July 2009, page 17).

2. SESB/TNB has explained why they do not plan to tap the excess hydro-electric power from Bakun, Sarawak, to satisfy the urgent energy needs of Sabah, especially the East Coast. If Bakun is out of the question, “the only practical option” for the East Coast of Sabah is COAL (what else).

3. As a matter of fact, the electricity from Bakun Dam will be ready for use much EARLIER than the proposed coal power plant, because “the first commissioning is expected in August 2010, where the first generator producing 300 megawatt of electricity will begin functioning.” “Bakun Expected To Be Ready October 2011”, 4 March 2009

4. While I am extremely touched that TNB/SESB LOVE AND CARE about our backward State of Sabah so much that they want to ensure ‘energy security/stability’ for Sabahans, my purpose here is to show that they could love us EVEN MORE by not contradicting themselves and try just a little bit harder. Here’s my response to their ‘reasons’.

A) “Costs and Demand – It would cost billions of Ringgit to channel the electricity from Bakun to Sabah while the demand for electricity in Sabah is only about 500MW. Such a large investment is better spent in Sabah by building a power plant which is more suited to the size of the demand in the State. This investment in Sabah will have a positive impact on the State’s economy and will reduce capital outflow from Sabah.”

5. I am so glad to hear that TNB/SESB loves Sabah so much that they want to grow our economy and keep Sabah’s wealth within Sabah! As far as profit-making companies go, Sabahans really cannot ask for more… However,

(a) I wonder how would the coal-power plant “have a positive impact on the State’s economy and reduce capital outflow from Sabah” given that it would use IMPORTED coal from Indonesia?? For TNB/SESB’s information, Sabahans also learn geography and economics in our run-down schools and we all know that when you import coal from Indonesia, you actually INCREASE capital outflow TO INDONESIA from Sabah and have a positive impact on the INDONESIAN economy!!

TNB’s/SESB’s truthfulness and loyalty to the people of Sabah are truly outstanding.

(b) Lahad Datu Energy Sdn Bhd, the company chosen by TNB/SESB to build the coal power plant in Sabah, is actually owned by the following 2 good Datuks as at 4 February 2009 (according to our company search):

(1) Dato’ Che Khalib Mohamad Noh (IC No. 650528-02-5287), who happens to be the current President & CEO of Tenaga Nasional Berhad, the parent company of Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd, as well as a Director of Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd itself.

His address is: No. 2A, Jalan Kenyalang 11/6C, Kota Damansara, PJU 5, 47810 Petaling Jaya, SELANGOR.

(2) Dato’ Abdul Razak bin Abdul Majid (IC No. 500916-07-5557), who happens to be the current Senior Vice President (Corp Affairs) of also Tenaga Nasional Berhad.

His address is: No. 18, Jalan Gurney Dua, 54100, KUALA LUMPUR.

Hmm… it does not seem like any of these 2 shareholders reside in Sabah, neither are they Sabahans. So, I wonder how would asking Sabahans to pay their money to the coal-power plant company owned by these 2 NON-Sabahans help to “reduce capital outflow from Sabah”??

(c) On the other hand, if TNB/SESB are so concerned about “having a positive impact on the economy and reducing capital outflow”, then TNB/SESB should SUPPORT, not REFUSE, the purchasing of hydropower from Sarawak (because, for TNB’s/ SESB’s information, Sarawak is part of Malaysia) – rather than importing dirty, toxic coal from Indonesia.

(d) People like me have NEVER opposed the building of a power plant in Sabah. In fact, we welcome that idea. All that we are against is the use of COAL as the source of energy, that’s all.

(e) Unfortunately, TNB/SESB seem to be SHORT-SIGHTED, and frankly showing NO CONFIDENCE WHATSOEVER in the growth potential of Sabah (especially the East Coast). Are TNB/SESB saying that the energy needs of the East Coast of Sabah will remain STAGNANT at only 500MW in the next 10 or 20 years (so it’s not worth investing in the infrastructure to tap Bakun’s excess capacity)?

On 1 hand, TNB/SESB seemed to have the ‘foresight’ to plan for the future, expecting a GROWING energy needs of Sabah (that’s why they say we need a coal power plant – quickly, or else don’t blame them anymore for the daily blackouts), but I wonder how come TNB/SESB’s perspective has ‘suddenly’ become ‘narrowed’ when they are trying to justify coal as ‘the only option’ (by believing that Sabah’s energy need will remain STAGNANT at 500MW)? TNB/SESB should try not to contradict themselves too much…

Sabah’s economy will grow! TNB/SESB, please don’t look down on Sabahans and have some confidence in us! Therefore, the investment spent in channeling the hydropower of Bakun to Sabah will be worth it. And if you still have no confidence in the God-forsaken economy of Sabah, then DON’T build the coal power plant either!

(f) Did you say Bakun-Sabah “would cost billions of Ringgit”? Well, on the other hand, it will cost RM8-10 BILLION to construct the undersea cable from Bakun to West Malaysia – but I suppose that’s ok for TNB so long as that’s not spent for Sabah’s benefit?

B) “Building a transmission line from Bakun to Sabah cuts across a great distance that includes mountainous regions and forest reserves. This will have great impact on the security of our systems. Any damage to the transmission line can result in a power outage for the whole of Sabah as the State is totally dependent on a single system.”

6. Of course this is true because transmission lines are SO weak, vulnerable and fragile, that they can break down anytime for no reason whatsoever (especially those built and maintained by TNB/SESB)! So, we should thank TNB/SESB for trying to guarantee the security of Sabah’s energy supply by using coal instead of Bakun. BUT,

(a) By SHARP CONTRAST, how come the building of a 670km long UNDERSEA/SUBMARINE cable to transmit electricity all the way from Bakun, Sarawak, to Johor across the South China Sea would NOT “have great impact on the security of the systems” in West Malaysia, and TNB is ‘suddenly’ NOT worried about “any damage to the transmission line resulting in a power outage” for West Malaysia? After all, we are talking about at least 1600MW of electricity here!!

Which way is closer/easier – Bakun to Sandakan or Bakun to Johor? (Assuming you can swim and go ‘undersea’ – TNB CAN!!)”

Maybe Sabah’s “mountainous regions and forest reserves” are MORE disruptive and dangerous than the constantly strong, unpredictable and treacherous OCEAN WAVES of South China Sea? (Come to think of it, living in Sabah is really scary…) Or has TNB found a way to safeguard their cable by, say, installing undersea CCTVs along the whole distance of the 670km cable to monitor it 24-hours a day, or are they going to secure safe passage of their cable by parting the South China Sea (like Prophet Moses did in the Red Sea)?

How come when it comes to Bakun-Johor, ANYTHING is possible, but when it comes to Bakun-Sabah, NOTHING is possible??

(b) I understand that the proposed 300MW coal power plant is meant to satisfy most of the energy needs of 3 of the East Coast towns of Sandakan, Lahad Datu and Tawau. The driving distance from Sandakan to Tawau is about 320km (by road, NOT UNDERSEA), also passing through some “mountainous regions and forest reserves” and oil palm plantations on the way.

My question is, if we cannot trust the transmission lines (especially those built by TNB/SESB), then WHAT IS THE POINT of having this coal power plant – because the electricity generated by it would still have to be channeled via transmission lines TO homes, offices and other towns anyway!!

In short,

(1) if TNB/SESB has no sincerity or intent to solve the problems associated with transmission lines, then we should all switch to use our own generators and there is NO POINT building any power plant (coal or otherwise) anywhere!

(2) but if TNB/SESB sincerely overcome the problems associated with transmission lines (just like what TNB is going to do with the 670 km undersea cable), then there is ALSO NO POINT building any coal power plant in Sabah because we can rely on Bakun via transmission lines!

EITHER WAY, whether the alleged problems with ‘transmission lines’ are resolved or not, there is NO POINT having a coal power plant in Sabah because it will not make any difference. (But hang on – maybe TNB/SESB will solve that problem by constructing an UNDERSEA cable from Sandakan to Tawau too, because it seems that nowadays, UNDERSEA cables are MUCH MORE SECURE AND SAFE than on-the-ground grids??)

(c) Nobody has ever argued that Sabah should be “TOTALLY dependent on a single system”, whether it is from Bakun or anywhere else. The existing power plants in Sabah currently use natural gas and diesel, and a few more hydro power plants in Sabah are also being planned; we only hope to add some hydro power from Bakun, that’s all. The rest, we can still continue to use gas and diesel.

After all, SESB “receives significant amounts of diesel and medium fuel oil subsidies from the Government of Malaysia and is presented net of Energy Costs.” (TNB Annual Report 2008, page 104)

Therefore, unless and until the Federal Government decides to turn its back on the people of Sabah by removing our entitlement to these subsidies (which, incidentally, are produced from Sabah anyway), there is NO EXCUSE for TNB/SESB not to continue to use these subsidized fuel sources to generate electricity for Sabah.

By the way, WHY ON EARTH are we EXPORTING Sabah’s natural gas all the way to Bintulu (likely to be later exported to Japan, but the money goes to Petronas and NOT Sabahans), but not getting at least some CLEAN hydro power in exchange from Sarawak (instead, have to IMPORT DIRTY coal from Indonesia)?? If TNB/SESB do not have enough natural gas for us, please ask the Federal Government for some – because I believe Sabahans are ENTITLED TO USE OUR OWN NATURAL RESOURCES. I would be interested to get an explanation from the Ministers of the Federal Government as to WHY, as Sabahans, we are NOT. Any takers??

(d) Give credit where credit is due. So far, thanks to the efforts of TNB/SESB, the West-East Interconnection Grid completed in July 2007 and has been working wonderfully well. There is also a “Sandakan Outer Ring Transmission and Distribution Network” currently being implemented by TNB/SESB. Surely, TNB/SESB must have enough confidence that these transmission lines are reliable and secure? Therefore, on this point, TNB/SESB should ‘pat’ themselves at the back and have enough faith in their own long distance transmission lines to start working on a Bakun-Sabah Grid! They should not ‘suddenly’ lose faith in their own transmission lines when trying to justify coal (yet at the same time, continue to be ‘dependent’ on grid for Bakun-Johor).

(e) The transmission line from Bakun to Sabah does NOT NECESSARILY have to “cut across a great distance that includes mountainous regions and forest reserves.” We are not asking for a ‘direct line’ from Bakun Dam to Sandakan/Lahad Datu. All that is required is for a transmission line connecting Bakun to, say, Bintulu (the nearest major city), then channeling the power up north to the Sarawak-Sabah border, crosses into Sabah and then feed into the West-East Interconnection Grid from Kota Kinabalu or Keningau.

According to BERNAMA, “Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui said the international bidding to lay 675km undersea cable from Pueh in Lundu, near [Kuching, Sarawak], to Tanjung Leman in Mersing, Johor, would be called because the task needs high level expertise… The [Bakun-Johor] cable project involves laying a 730km high-voltage direct current transmission line and a 675km undersea cable for the 2,400MW Bakun hydroelectric dam.”

“Tender For Bakun’s Undersea Cable Out Next Year”, July 06, 2009

In other words, apart from the undersea cable, there is ALSO a 730km long transmission line to be constructed ON THE GROUND. If such a ‘great distance’ of 730km could be done for West Malaysia, why not for at most a mere 460km of transmission line from Bintulu to Kota Kinabalu?? All they have to do is to CONNECT THE GRIDS from Bakun to the border and then to Kota Kinabalu or Keningau. Is that really SO DIFFICULT??

7. On this point, our Professor ‘Green Power Engineer’ said that “It is 100 times easier and cheaper to lay cables on the sea bed, just lower them from a big container ship. There is NO wayleave applications as no one has land title to the sea bed, and NO trees to cut, NO bulldozers needed to create access roads and NO towers need to be built.” Wow, so easy?

8. Question: Are there “NO wayleave applications, NO trees to cut, NO bulldozers needed to create access roads and NO towers need to be built” WHEN the 730km of transmission line connecting the undersea cable is laid on the ground portion of the transmission line (from Bakun to Lundu (near Kuching), Sarawak, and from Johor to the rest of West Malaysia)?? Can you “just lower them from a big container ship” for this 730km long ground portion?? Tell me when they do this, Professor ‘Green Power Engineer’ – I must witness this miraculous engineering feat myself!

9. Again, if the coal power plant is built in any part of the East Coast of Sabah, will there be no need for SESB to construct transmission lines to channel the power from this coal power plant to the rest of the East Coast? Or perhaps by then, there would be no need to lay transmission lines on the ground for the coal power plant because our brilliant Professor ‘Green Power Engineer’ will introduce his Nobel Prize-winning method of transmitting electricity from this coal power plant to our houses by wind, or flying coal ash?

C) “Even if electricity is purchased from Bakun for use in Sabah, the supply will be channeled to the West Coast only. This will not help to provide balance to the current transmission system between the West Coast and the East Coast of Sabah. Based on these factors, Tenaga Nasional Berhad /SESB have decided that it is more cost-effective to abstain from securing electricity supply from the Bakun project in Sarawak for the time being. With the hydro potential in Sarawak estimated at 28,000MW, the opportunity for Sabah to secure supply of electricity from Sarawak is still wide open under SESB’s long-term plans for the State. Bakun’s hydro capacity at 2,400MW is just a small portion of the huge hydro potential available in Sarawak.

“There is a need to provide balance to the electricity supply system in Sabah as currently the only source of generating electricity is from the West Coast. The East Coast is too dependent on the West Coast and any damage to the transmission line or the generating system in the West Coast will result in a critical supply situation in the East Coast. This is because the existing generating system is not able to cater to the demand in the East Coast. It is critical that a power plant with a large generating capacity be developed in the East Coast to give support and balance to SESB’s entire generating system.”

10. Balance… Of course it is very important to have balance in life! How can anyone disagree? I begin to feel that those of us who live in the God-forsaken East Coast are condemned to a lifetime of blackouts… But,

(a) Bakun “is still wide open“?? So now, despite the need “to cut across a great distance that includes mountainous regions and forest reserves”, IT IS POSSIBLE to channel the power from Bakun to Sabah after all!! What a relief… (But ooops – TNB/SESB scored yet another own goal by contradicting themselves.) However, we’ll probably get the power from Bakun ONLY AFTER we have swallowed the coal first, am I right?

(b) Have TNB/SESB forgotten about the West-East Interconnection GRID?? Please build another FIVE of this if the current one is not enough to channel the power to the East Coast. Again, if you are too stingy to “Work Harder for Better Power” (SESB’s corporate slogan) or “CARE” (yup, another 1 of SESB’s corporate slogan) for Sabahans, ask the Federal Government to pay for it!! After more than 45 years of becoming part of Malaysia, I honestly believe that we are entitled to some more Grids at least.

(c) Probably like you, at this stage, I’m really, really confused… Can TNB/SESB please clarify whether they TRUST THEIR OWN GRIDS or not?? If so, please do not speak as if they don’t have to depend on any grid to transmit the power at all even for the coal power plant. (Because last time I checked, we still can’t transmit electricity by ‘beaming’ satellite signals or wind, for example.)

(d) What happened to the 2^nd West-East Grid connecting Keningau, Ulu Padas, Serudong, Tawau in the South? This was supposed to be in addition to the currently-in-use West-East Interconnection Grid connecting Kota Kinabalu, Ranau, Telupid, Segaliud, Sandakan in the North. Indeed, this 2^nd Grid was part of the “National Grid System” mentioned in TNB’s Annual Report 2000, page 19:

“2000: Good News! 2nd Grid coming soon!”

This 2^nd Grid could still be seen in SESB’s “Buku Panduan Am” first published in 2006 (green colour, to the South):

“2006: Yup, 2nd Grid still Coming, Don’t worry.”

But for some reason, when the idea of building a coal power plant started to proceed in earnest in mid-2007, this 2^nd Grid in the South has SUDDENLY gone ‘missing’ from SESB’s latest corporate literature we obtained in early 2009:

2009: Hey Dude – Who Moved My Grid??

Without showing the 2^nd Grid in the South, then it really looks like we in the East Coast are ‘vulnerable’ to transmission line problems! (So scary!!) But WHY HAS THE 2^ND GRID GONE MISSING the moment TNB/SESB wants to build a coal power plant?? Can TNB/SESB please explain this COINCIDENCE??

(e) After reading SESB’s emphasis on ‘balance’ and the danger of ‘dependence’, I begin to worry about my friends living in the USA. The thing is, the WHOLE NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT is connected by and ‘dependent’ on power grids!! The major ones are: The Eastern Interconnection, the Western Interconnection, Québec Interconnection, Alaska Interconnection and the Texas Interconnection:

North America — The World’s Most ‘Dangerous’ and ‘Critical’ Continent

UNFORTUNATELY, without any honest, sincere and caring guardian angels like the TNB/SESB that we have here, the Americans are really living ‘dangerously’ and ‘critically’, because their grids “cut across a great distance that includes mountainous regions and forest reserves” much, much, much more than in Sabah… (ever heard of the Rocky Mountains??)

For example, “The Eastern Interconnection reaches from Central Canada Eastward to the Atlantic coast (excluding Québec), South to Florida, and back West to the foot of the Rockies (excluding most of Texas).”

Just take a look at how their interconnecting grids cut cross the entire continent, how ‘imbalanced’ and ‘too dependent’ on the grids they are, and you would understand how the poor Americans will NEVER have the kind of ‘peace of mind’ and ‘security’ as those of us living under TNB’s/SESB’s regime would have, because the Americans are forever living “in a critical supply situation” 24 hours a day, 365 days a year:

Don’t Go to USA — It’s very ‘Dangerous’ and ‘Critical’ over there…

Oh by the way, the Europeans are living it ‘dangerously’ and ‘critically’ too! For example, the Baltic Grid:

Is the WHOLE World becoming a ‘Dangerous’, ‘Critical’ Place…??

(f) You might be wondering, are long-distance transmission lines not feasible and not cost-effective? Well, apart from the OBVIOUS, SCREAMING answer given by TNB themselves by channeling the Bakun power all the way to Johor, here are some ‘highly misleading nonsense’ propagated by some foreign idiots who haven’t heard the gospel truth espoused by the world’s leading electricity suppliers, TNB/SESB (I assure you, if our Professor ‘Green Power Engineer’ ever finds out who they are, they would certainly be charged and convicted of SEDITION under Malaysian law; I’m only reproducing them here “for our entertainment”, as Professor ‘Green Power Engineer’ would put it):

“Long-distance transmission of electricity (thousands of kilometers) is cheap and efficient, with costs of US$ 0.005 to 0.02 per kilowatt-hour (compared to annual averaged large producer costs of US$ 0.01 to US$ 0.025 per kilowatt-hour, retail rates upwards of US$ 0.10 per kilowatt-hour, and multiples of retail for instantaneous suppliers at unpredicted highest demand moments). Thus distant suppliers can be cheaper than local sources (e.g. New York City buys a lot of electricity from Canada).”

[Note: It's about 550km from New York City to Toronto (which is near the US border), whereas the driving distance from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan is only 330km.]

(g) But I’m sure that as our Guardian Angels, TNB/SESB must have thought about all these and decided that Sabah is no America/Europe, that’s why we cannot depend on grids like they do. After all, they are highly developed industrial countries, not a miserable little Timbuktu rat-hole like Sabah (who aren’t even entitled to use their own natural resources). For starters, their grids are not as highly vulnerable and fragile like ours (especially those built and maintained by TNB/SESB).

Well, you would be SHOCKED to discover that our poor cousins in West Malaysia are ALSO constantly living ‘dangerously’ ‘in critical supply situation’ like the Americans and the Europeans!!

Behold, Ladies and gentlemen – I give you – TNB’s NATIONAL GRID SYSTEM for West Malaysia:

West Malaysia – a ‘dangerous’, ‘critical’ place too!!”

(see TNB’s Annual Report 2002, page 89)

Further, according to TNB’s Annual Report 2008, page 57:

“The National Grid consists of approximately 18,812 circuit-km of overhead transmission lines, 740 circuit-km of underground transmission cables and 386 substations with transformation capacity of 83,808 MVA. During the period under review, thirty-two (32) power stations, made up of TNB power stations and Independent Power Producers (IPPs), are connected to the grid with 19,723 MW installed capacity and a maximum electricity demand of 14,007 MW recorded on 21 May 2008.”

Compared to the 18,812km of National Grid, I’m sure to add an approximately 460km of transmission line/grid to connect Bintulu (nearest city to Bakun) to Kota Kinabalu plus another 330km to connect Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan is an insurmountable challenge for TNB/SESB.

(h) AND, my heart also goes out to the Thais and the Singaporeans, because these poor souls are ALSO living ‘dangerously’ and ‘critically’ – with the help of none other than TNB themselves!!

“THE NATIONAL GRID”

TNB’s transmission system spans the whole of Peninsular Malaysia, connecting power stations owned by TNB and IPPs to customers. The system operates at 132kV, 275kV and 500kV voltage levels and forms an integrated network known as the National Grid.

The National Grid is interconnected to Thailand’s transmission system operated by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) in the North via a HVDC interconnection with a transmission capacity of 300MW and a 132kV AC overhead line with maximum transmission capacity of 80MW. In the South, the National Grid is connected to Singapore’s transmission system at Senoko via 2×230kV submarine cables with a firm transmission capacity of 200MW.”

(TNB’s Annual Report 2002, page 87)

So, I think we should be GRATEFUL to TNB/SESB for trying to spare us the kind of ‘dangerous’ and ‘critical’ lives they live in North America, Europe, Thailand, Singapore, and West Malaysia (and almost everywhere else on Earth, frankly). Man, what would we do without TNB/SESB protecting and safeguarding our wellbeing…

(i) However, despite TNB’s/SESB’s best intentions, somehow it still seems to me that maybe – just maybe – it is still possible for Sandakan to ‘depend’ on other cities to supply electricity via power grids – because they do it EVERYWHERE ELSE in the World/Malaysia for crying out loud!! Is Sabah’s geography really THAT scary??

I think most of us in the East Coast of Sabah would be willing to take our chances – just like we HAVE ALREADY done with the West-East Interconnection Grid since 2007. Unlike TNB/SESB themselves, many of us do have high confidence in the kind of grids constructed by TNB/SESB themselves (albeit highly vulnerable and fragile).

Between the dirty, toxic and fatal COAL on one hand and living ‘dangerously’ and ‘critically’ on the other, many of us would rather give the grids a shot.

D) “The large investment and high demand in the peninsula justified the commitment made to channel electricity from Bakun to the peninsula and Sarawak.”

11. Oh, I see. So now, even if we have the grids and all that, we still can’t get any from Bakun because they have already been ‘committed’. Sorry, you’re too late! And honestly, I can sympathize with TNB/SESB. On one hand, they truly LOVE AND CARE for Sabah, that’s why they want to “have a positive impact on the State’s economy and reduce capital outflow from Sabah” (see Reason (A) above); but on the other hand, IT’S JUST NOT WORTH IT for them to invest too much money to keep Sabahans safe and healthy. What a Catch-22… HOWEVER,

(a) Notice that TNB/SESB never said it CANNOT be done. All they are basically saying is, they are not willing to invest the money to “Work Harder for Better Power” (SESB’s corporate slogan). Again, Sabahans should be very grateful to learn how little we are worth in the eyes of TNB/SESB.

(b) On whether Bakun can supply power to Sabah, TNB Chairman Tan Sri Leo Moggie said, “My answer to you (possibility of Bakun power exported to Sabah) is it is NOT LIKELY, (because) it is ALREADY COMMITTED.”

“Power from Bakun to Sabah is unlikely”, Tuesday, May 26, 2009, Daily Express, Sabah.

In other words, there is no more Bakun power for sale – it’s all SOLD OUT, sorry Sabah.

BUT on the other hand, the Prime Minister Y. A. B. Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak was just helping TNB to sell Bakun’s electricity to Indonesia, basically acting as TNB’s ‘salesman’:

“I have offered the possibility of us assisting Indonesia in fulfilling the energy needs in Kalimantan and Presiden Susilo has welcomed the offer,” he told Malaysian journalists at the end of his two-day visit to Indonesia today… Asked whether Malaysia would offer any special price for the electricity to be exported to Kalimantan, Najib said, pricing was not discussed yet.”

“Indonesia welcomes electricity from Bakun – Najib”, 24 April 2009.

But Indonesia has NOT agreed to buy it from Bakun – because the pricing was not even discussed. In other words, according to the Prime Minister, there is STILL A LOT MORE FOR SALE from Bakun.

So, the question now is: Is there any electricity left from Bakun, OR NOT??

The PM says YES (to Indonesia, and maybe Brunei too), but TNB’s Chairman says NO (to Sabah). So, WHO LIED ABOUT BAKUN??(Can the LIAR please apologise??!! Thank you)

Of course, both of them are very important and responsible men with impeccable integrity. Unfortunately for our Prime Minister, TNB partly owns (together with Sarawak Energy Berhad) the project to supply Bakun’s electricity to West Malaysia, and Leo Mogie is the Boss of TNB – which means, common sense tells me that Leo Mogie would most probably have MORE hands-on information about his own company’s Bakun project than the Prime Minister (who has to deal with so many things, day-in-day-out).

So, if I am forced to choose, I am compelled to believe that Leo Mogie was telling the truth… So, I suppose Leo Mogie – speaking about Bakun AFTER the Prime Minister did – was basically suggesting that the Prime Minister LIED??

(c) The Federal Cabinet approved the undersea cable project ONLY in April 2009 – more than 1 year AFTER the coal power plant project was first proposed in Sabah. Questions:

(1) Just 1 month after the Federal Cabinet approved the project, ALL of Bakun’s power had already been ‘committed’? Wow, so fast… selling like hot cakes, I see. But if that’s the case, why do they STILL talk about selling the Bakun electricity to Indonesia and Brunei??

(2) Why didn’t TNB think about getting some of Bakun’s electricity for Sabah as early as in 2008, LONG BEFORE it was even ‘committed’ to somewhere else? Is it because TNB had already made up its mind to use coal at least since 2007, and therefore naturally turned a blind eye at other options??

I’m really confused… Can Leo Mogie please clarify whether he was suggesting that the Prime Minister LIED about Bakun, or that he himself was lying about Bakun in order to force COAL down Sabahans’ throats??

(d) Have they REALLY done any serious study at all about exactly how much it would cost to connect the Grids from Bakun to Sabah? Have they called for any proposal or tender? If not, WHAT IS THE BASIS for them to say it is too expensive??

(e) If TNB/SESB are too stingy to fork out the money, then the Federal Government should. Under the 9^th Malaysia Plan, the Federal Government had allocated only RM600 million “to strengthen electricity supply mainly the transmission and distribution system” (TNB Annual Report 2008, page 109) for such a big and underdeveloped ‘BN’s Fixed Deposit’ State like Sabah. If the Barisan Nasional Federal Government is serious about developing Sabah (while at the same time maintaining Sabah’s only precious competitive advantage as the world’s premier eco-tourism destination and keeping the people of Sabah safe and healthy), then it should recognize that SABAH DESERVES MUCH MORE. (Well, at least to partly compensate for the natural gas you are taking away from us.)

E) Conclusion: “The only practical option to address the on-going electricity supply crisis situation in the East Coast of Sabah is to build a coal-fired power plant. It added that this has been supported and verified by consultants appointed to study the potential of energy resources in the East Coast. Nevertheless, SESB/TNB are still keeping options open in our effort to find alternative sources of electricity for the East Coast of Sabah. As a responsible public utility, SESB’s sole agenda is to ensure the people of Sabah can enjoy reliable and stable supply of electricity at reasonable prices.”

12. A blind man CANNOT see, a stubborn man REFUSES to see. But if that is what you are DETERMINED/ HAVE ALREADY MADE UP your mind to do, then you would automatically shut your mind to the obvious. By the way, I would love to get my hands on that expertly done and detailed, honest, serious and comprehensive studies of the ‘available options’ by that ‘consultant’. I hope TNB/SESB will publish it before the end of July 2009 for Sabahans to understand what kind of serious trouble we Sabahans are living in!! I’m sure there is also a very good explanation in there somewhere on WHY CAN’T SABAHANS BE ALLOWED TO USE THEIR OWN NATURAL GAS which is endorsed by the Federal Government, among other things.

13. What TNB/SESB is telling us is basically that Bakun is not possible because when it comes to substitutes to COAL, they somehow ‘suddenly’ become too lazy and fearful, what is normal becomes too exceptional and difficult, and what is possible becomes impossible. (In particular, grids become mere spider-webs…)

14. It seems that we can sum up TNB/SESB’s position as: when it comes to Bakun-Johor, ANYTHING is possible, but when it comes to Bakun-Sabah, NOTHING is possible. Maybe, TNB/SESB has some ‘Bakun-phobia’ which causes them to THINK NEGATIVELY ALL THE WAY whenever they can’t use COAL…

15. Above all, what TNB/SESB should remember is, even if we don’t have any substitute for coal, we still CANNOT use coal. TNB/SESB should be reminded that as of today, the Sabah Government’s position is STILL that which was decided by the Barisan Nasional Sabah Cabinet in April 2008. The Chief Minister, Y. A. B. Datuk Seri Panglima Musa bin Hj. Aman, said when REJECTING the coal power plant project in Lahad Datu in 2008:

“After weighing the pros and cons, the Cabinet decided to SCRAP the proposed project, because we DO NOT WANT TO RISK the WELFARE AND HEALTH of the communities in the area [in Lahad Datu] as well as any ADVERSE IMPACT on the environment… I know some say with today’s technology, the proposed plant is safe and clean BUT some EXPERTS also DISAGREE.”

(New Sabah Times, 3 April 2008, Frontpage)

16. As of today, the Sabah Cabinet STILL have NOT come out with a different position on coal. Indeed, it would be EXTREMELY SHOCKING if the BN Sabah Cabinet were to come out with a different position (and to approve the setting up of a coal power plant anywhere in Sabah) because it would have to mean that the BN Sabah Cabinet has found a place in Sabah to set up a coal power plant where the nearby residents have a distinctly SUPERIOR GENE:

- which is immune to cancer,

- whose brains would not be damaged by mercury,

- whose skin would get younger living under acid rain,

– and generally will prosper living under all the toxins emitted by coal burning.

THAT – not Mount Kinabalu – would surely put Sabah on the map to become the 8^th Wonder of the World; many generations of Chinese Emperors had searched for such a ‘Paradise of Immortality’ in vain…

17. Therefore, I hope TNB/SESB can overcome their ‘Bakun-phobia’ and LISTEN to the Chief Minister and banish the thought of coal! (If they still can’t, maybe it’s time for them to hire a different Chairman and CEO who are capable of instilling POSITIVE THINKING on the entire company.) Bakun or no Bakun, coal is a FATAL option which is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE and out of the question.

18. I think the people of Sabah deserve at least more honesty and efforts and less insults to our intelligence. Don’t you?

Popularity: 35% [?]