Sarawak Energy Berhad

Sarawak Energy  (SESCO)                     28/2/2013

          SESCO came to my attention when many people in Sibu / elsewhere are harassed by them in one way / another every now and then.  I decided to study the business dealings of it when we were pricked.  If anybody who does not have any personal experience and does not believe, you may ask around.  I have the personal experiences and know some.  I have been asked for interviews 3 times already and I also took every opportunity to ‘interview’ / interact with others.  I realised that SESCO has become toooooooooooooooooo profit-minded and is ever ready to ‘swallow’ others with the mouth open bloody wide.   To the best knowledge I have, many and many and many and many people in Sibu and elsewhere Sarawak are very ……………………angry with this Berhad.

          SESCO Sarawak has become “the tree someone can shake for money (摇钱树)” at will.   It has become a Berhad that benefit the favoured few.   Taib Mahmud, I believe, always takes the lion’s share.  His signatures to sign the documents sell very well in Sarawak.  He sells all kinds of licences for his own gain.  He and his cronies as well as his friends and relatives always enjoys all kinds of benefit and gain at people’s expense.

          Sarawak Energy Berhad has become a curse to many, many……………………people.  Now let me relate the 3 incidences that we faced.   Case 1:  Someone sabotaged / damaged the electricity meter and we as the landlord were asked to pay RM150 for the meter and pay RM400 for the administrative charge.  Of course, we refused flatly.  Thus I wrote the letter and went there to argue and protest.  I realised that other people also faced with the problems of the meter being tampered / damaged / they were overcharged without any valid reasons.

          Case 2:  Sesco asked us to pay RM1300plus for the tenant who had left long time ago and we had no idea whereabouts of him.  Of course, we also refused flatly and were adamant.  My argument was why they let that tenant to accumulate the money to that amount including hefty administrative charges (I think they do the work with gold fingers, otherwise why the administrative charge is such a big chunk).  Whose fault and how could this thing happen?   Immediately, I thought of the business of collusion in win-win way between the two/three parties. 

          Case 3:  Again it is the electricity meter.  It was damaged once and we made the police report and paid RM150 for the replacement.  For the same meter, the seal was broken but the meter was not tampered at all.  Again our tenant received the bill amounted to RM1518.55.  Thus, I went for faces-to-face interview yesterday.  I again took this rare opportunity to interact / ‘interview’ anxiously and neurotically with other victims.   I wanted to get as much first-handed information as possible in order to use my pen-sword to ‘kill’ the bloody demons who are thirsty for blood / mo……………………….ney.  I want to create awareness of people that we as individuals, we should do something to protect our rights as Sarawakians.

          Do you have the similar experiences?  Well, we together should demand the electricity meters to be securely boxed so that NOBODY except the SESCO technicians have the access.  It is perhaps the best way to severe the technicians SESCO/ not to collaborate with the tenants to tamper the meter.  I found that exposing electricity meters in that manner as you see around is very…………………….irresponsible of Sarawak Energy Berhad and yet we have to pay for their irresponsibility?  Where is the Justice?  Tell me!

          Sarawak belongs to Sarawakians.  The natural resources bestowed to us is the common wealth we possess.  But why do we allow the favoured few to take full advantage and benefit at our expense?  Do you not feel being plundered and exploited when the electricity tariff rates are high for different sectors?  Sarawak is an oil producing state and we have two dams!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! in operation.  Why are we not eligible to low electricity tariff rates?  Let’s seek these answers together.  Together we people must do something to justify the situation.  We should never tolerate corruption to take place and let exploitation and plundering to go on like this.

          Sarawak Energy Berhad has employed an CEO with the pay RM100, 000 a month.  Do you think it is not relevant at all?  What is the average income of the people to do so?  Why are we so dependent on foreign expertise?  Is the moon in the foreign country really bigger and rounder?  How can we say Malaysia is an independent country when we are so dependent on foreigners to upkeep us?  After 50 years partnered with the Federal government, we are still feel being colonised. 

          After 50 years existed as a state, where are our local CEOs?  Are you sure you cannot find one to be paid RM20,000 for the same good and efficient services?  What has gone wrong with our state government?  Are they doing their work besides the work of exploitation and plundering?   Alamak!  What a curse!  What a pity!  What a shame!  What more can I express?

          Check and find out how many times Sarawak Energy Berhad hike the fee to connect electricity to new single-storey houses, double-storey houses, semi-detached houses and double-story detached houses.  Monopoly as we know is the main cause for the hike of the prices of houses everywhere in Sarawak.  Cement manufacturing is also a monopoly business that Taib Mahmud and his family and his cronies take full advantage of this business as well.  How can we expect prices of the houses in Sarawak not to shot out of the proportion to the average income-level of the people here?  People generally feel being exploited and plundered.

          Don’t tell us this is the phenomenon everywhere.  It is the phenomenon because democracy everywhere has gone astray.  In a nutshell, it is not democracy economically/ politically / culturally/ educationally.  If it is,  everything is done for the well-being and welfare of  people.  How many so-called democratic countries have reached the par?  To express in %, how many % has America attained in the progress towards democracy when the wealth is in the hand of the few.  So economically, America is not  democratic in this economic aspect as far as I know. 

          Another hallmark to judge is the housing conditions.  If you live in a house small like a chicken coop / kennel, it is not democratic.  It is very obvious the housing development is very much to the advantages of the housing developers and the party signing the documents and the government.  Democracy means people have decent shelter (It is definitely not coop-like/ kennel-like.), proper and well-connected transport, clean food, air and water.  Don’t forget  education, easy access to telecommunication, proper and good medical services, fair prices for goods and the like are also good indicators of how well democracy is practised in your country / mine. 

          In Sarawak, Malaysia, the practice is still very much autocracy and despotism and nepotism.  The operations of Sarawak Energy Berhad is a very good/ perfect example of the so said practices.  Democracy has not been established and taken rooted yet.  That is why we suffer so much and at the mercy of Taib Mahmud and his cronies.

          If you think I have not told you enough about the operations of Sarawak Energy Berhad, you may go the Sarawak Report websit for details.  The article titled “How corruption filters down—dirty deals at Sarawak Energy” will tell all what has happened.  It is really informative though I still can figure out how all these criminal activities can go on without the knowledge of MACC (Malaysia Anti-corruption Commission) and thus no action taken to punish them.  Where is the justice though I hear often enough that we have the Judiciary system, the administrative system and the legislative system in existence.  But they are just as dead as stone in practice to deal with these demons who engage in the evil acts of the devils.  Ponder on what you should do in the 13^th general election.  That’s it.

A letter to Sarawak Energy

The director

Sarawak SESCO Berhad

Dear Sir,

Appeal for the security box for Electricity Meter  and Lowering Tariff Rates

On behalf of the people in Sibu or elsewhere in Sarawak, I appeal for the security box for every electricity meter so that only the SESCO technicians have the access to the box.  Thus the problem of electricity meters being tampered / sabotaged will be resolved once and for all.  Please be reminded that the SESCO Sarawak Berhad should bear the cost of the security box, not us, consumers.  The current electricity meters are not protected at all.  In other words, they are installed at shop-owners’ own risk.  It is very unfair to them when something happened to the electricity meter and they have to bear the cost of damage.

2.  Since Sarawak is an oil producing states and we also have Bakun Hydroelectricity Dam and another dam in operation, we are definitely eligible for lower electricity tariff rates for different sectors.  This is another viable way to prevent the people especially the business operators from resorting to do something to reduce the charges.  These natural resources belong to every Sarawakian but it seems to me that they only benefit a few based on my knowledge what is being reported in Report Sarawak (How Corruption Filters Down – Dirty Deals At Sarawak Energy).   Please be more people-minded and -centred to sustain.  Never make people feel exploited / plundered.

3.  Paying the chief executive officer (CEO) RM100,000 a month, do you think that it is relevant based on the general income-level of the people in Sarawak?  Why can’t we have as efficient and good local CEO to be paid RM20,000 a month to do the job?   Paying such a high salary to the CEO means that SESCO needs to find ways to make do the payment. 

Thank you for your attention.

Yours faithfully,

Rewards and Foolhardy

Rewards and Foolhardy                             25/2/2013

          The article “Taib shows loyalty has its rewards”  is reported by Conny Banji (reporters@the boneopost.com) (22/2/2013.  The Borneo Post)

SIBU:  Chief Minister Hehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud (the curse and shame of Sarawak) recently brought good news for Bumiputera voters in Sibu parliamentary constituency when he granted their numerous requests.

          He said it was to reward their loyalty to BN which they showed by increasing their support to the ruling coalition during the previous elections. 

          Alamak!  What a curse!  What a pity!  What a shame!  Who is he (Taib) to act so despotically  and authoritatively ?   He acts against the practice of democracy.  He should have been sued and kept in prison for being so abusing the power to act at will to ‘reward / not’.   First of all, whose money is it to say so?  How corrupt and abusive he has been for 35 years of his tenure as a Chief Minister of Sarawak are well-evidenced with the ill-gotten wealth he has amassed for himself and his family.  It was reported that he had RM64.3 billion which was more / less the richest one in Malaysia.  How much money in RM in billion does the richest man in Malaysia possess?  How did he do it?  This is the issue that we want to probe and sue him in the court and confiscate all the money he has stolen from us, the taxpayers and put into good use for the general well-being of Sarawakians.

          Who is responsible for the poor road conditions and system and other basic infrastructures if Taib Mahmud and his cronies are not held accountable especially when they are all engaged in the businesses in one way or another for their own benefits and gains?   Can Taib Mahmud deny that contracting road construction and upgrading is not one of his family businesses?  Who cares to build the road properly when poor road conditions can guarantee allocation of funds continuously when a road collapses and when that means allocation of fund to repair?   

          It is the monopoly of road constructions and repairs of Taib Mahmud and his cronies that result in the same unresolved problems to persist.  What more can we say when the dirty hands of monopoly get into almost every aspect of our life?  Monopoly always makes the work of plundering easily to take place. 

          Rewarding the people for being loyal to the BN government has been Taib Mahmud’s tactics for years.  This proved to be effective again and again for so long.  Well, after 308, and after 2010 the state election, I am wonder if the spell is still as effective as ever before.  Everything changes in every passing day.  The thoughts of many people also undergo some changes in one way or another especially when news can spread fast, far and wide.  I believe they have more knowledge than ever before and we know “Knowledge is power” which can break any spell.  Is it not the reason when the power of people toppled the despots one after another in the Middle East in the Jasmine Revolts?   We don’t need that to flush out the despots as we have the ballots to cast to reject them to continue the tenures.  Is it not what democracy means?

         

          “In the general election in 2008, the voting % from the Bumiputra in this area was 72%.”

          “It increased to 80% in 2010 by-election although we lost the seat to the opposition.  It shot to 84% in 2011 (Did we have???????) state election.

          “I think therefore I must grant all your requests because I know all of you are very loyal to BN, “ he told a crowd of about 2,000 at a meet-the-people session in conjunction with Chinese New Year celebration held in SK Tanjong Penasu here-.

          Among the requests were the upgrading of Tanjung Penasu-Batu Burak Road, Nanga Tutus-Sebedil-Sungai Rassau Road and implementation of piped water supply to Nanga Tutus, Sebedil, Kampung Gungan Besar, Kampung Bungan Kecil, Sungai Pinang,  and Sungai Banyok which would benefit some 4,000 people.

          I can rest-assured to say that Bumiputra’s loyalty to the BN government were well-recorded in almost all the state and national elections.  But why are they only “rewarded” now?  This is a big question that I hope every loyal Bumiputra should crack/ hit their heads on the wall to answer.  Were they not treated as foolhardy?  Argue if you can!  The “rewards” of development are going to take place whether in quality or not, I am not sure but I am certain that it is the threat of the opposition pact that push and force Taib Mahmud-the BN government to action.  Who can deny this hard and strong fact?  Stand up and speak out.

          He said he would instruct the relevant authority to look into WiFi services in the area to improve telecommunication and install street lighting along Tanjung Penasu-Batu Burak Road.

          He also urged the authorities to expedite the implementation of the Rural Ecectrification Scheme (RES) to benefit some 300 families in villages along the Igan River and push for the approval of application from 770 other families that were not in the current list.

          Taib later called for upgrading work on the flood-prone Bekakap Road linking Sungail Melangan to be expedited, building of Sungai-Rassau-Sungai Kut Road and to improve or replace old and dilapidated school buildings. 

         

          Is everybody still not clear who manipulates your life at will?  Is it not one-man play to decide what to develop / not; where the lights should be installed; when to make the relevant authority improve/ not the telecommunication ?  Even he has the power to decide how fast it can be completed.  Why?   Is this not the will and mindset of the despot and autocrat?  He will not grant anything without the ulterior motives.  Is this not his way to fish the votes of foolhardy/ hardcore fools for years?  Hence the developments that we see everywhere in Sarawak are spotty and dotty, not systematic and holistic.  Do you still not think he is the curse and shame of us, Sarawakians?  Do you still want to be led by the nose and abused by him further and more? 

          He had also agreed to the request for the issuance of land titles to Native Customary Rights (NCR) land owners whsoe land had already been surveyed.

          On the requests for relocating RumahDaniel, Rumah Jalak and Rumah Ungking along the Batang Igan River which were seriously affected by soil erosion , he told the longhouse residents to discuss with the Land and Survey Department for a new place for them to resettle.

          Is it terrible when this wicked devil whose evil thoughts and will as well as acts can have so much impact on your life?  It is to his pleasure and power he decides everything?  Where is the spirit of democracy that has people in mind to decide the welfare and well-being?  He has the every characteristic trait of a despot who so is self-centred, selfish, greedy, authoritative and self-interested to care about the people.   So, what do you want democracy / autocracy?  It is up to you, dear friends.  All the best!

Fair and square

                   Be fair and square, Najib             24/2/2013

          Najib so said, “Opposition  must accept election result---Najib”.  It is indeed a very good advice to the PR pact.  I see it a very heartening reminder to Najib and the BN pact as well to take heed of this utterance.  We people at least 70% like me are clapping with our hands and feet as well.   Ya,                             

Remember the law is a basic principle in the country, the process of democracy demands that we respect the laws of the country.  Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. 

          We people in general are heartened that you (Najib) can still memorise the key concept of democracy though the BN government has practised autocracy in reality in almost every respect of the governance.  But if you and your team can upkeep this principle just in case, well, if it is likely that you will lose in the 13^th general election, this is a timely expression, I should say.. 

Kuala Lumpur:  The Prime Minister said yesterday he hoped the opposition will accept the result of the upcoming 13^th general election and do not find excuse to cause chaos if they lose.  Saturday, 9Feb2013.  Home.  The Borneo Post.  Pg25  

          So I say goodlah this should be served as a reminder to Najib and his team being the winner all through the 12 elections.  If the 13^th general election turns out to be just the opposite, I believe they are well-prepared to face it.  They will not re-enact 513—1969  and exploit the situation to their advantage to get back the power.   They created chaos once.  We hope they will not do it again this time.  If as many predict, the BN pact will lose in the election.  I also cannot find a valid reason for them to win this time.

      Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the opposition shoud respect the decision of the people because it was a topmost principle in the parliamentary democracy system practised in this country.

     “We must accept whatever in the decision of the people.  If they believe in democracy, they cannot reject something which has been decided by the people.”

     “If we uphold the principles of parliamentary democracy, this is the fact,”  he told a media conference after chairing an Umno Supreme Council meeting here.        

          Hurray!  So, they are clear enough, for sure,  what they should and should not do if they lose this time.   How wonderful to get the assurance from Najib about whom we are not sure how he and his team will face the situation.  For the opposition pact, we are not worried at all because they have been loser for the past 12 elections.  We have enough ideas and are clear enough how they handle disappointments and failures.  
 
Najib said this when commenting on a statement by former PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad who urged the people to view seriously the threat by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to turn Kuala Lumpur akin to Tahrir Square in Cairo, if his aspiration to become prime minister did not materialise in the coming general election. 

          Najib said if the opposition did not respect the law, it would create a situation of rejecting the rule of law and its effect would be bad for the nation.

          This, I think Mahathir is plagued and plighted by his own phobia being a very aggressive person and a neurotic himself.  We can understand his anxiety and self-imposed impulsion being a very cruel and atrocious person himself.  He can try all means to win.  He tried to grant The 10 million or more illegal immigrants citizenship with the intention  to win in the election in Sabah during his reign as a PM.    He himself was such a mean person.  It is no doubt that he also thinks Anwar Ibrahim meanly.  Well, well, …………. I can assure you no such things like the ones in Tahrir, Cairo will happen here.  Look, what have they done after 308?  Even when Perak was taken back by the BN government in such a mean way, they still kept themselves in good control.   No worry!

          “Respecting the law is a basic principle in the country, the process of democracy demands that we respect the laws of the country,”  he said.

          He said he was confident the Election Commission (EC) was capable of ensuring the general election to be held would be fair and clean.

          How marvellous to hear this and we really hope that Najib and his team really “walk his talk” not just pow-bow and howl only.   Who can argue further and more if the Election Commission is really fair and clean as they claim and declare?  Well……… we people, young and old, male and female are watching seriously.  So if the authority concerned behaves themselves to uphold the principle of fairness and cleanliness in the election, what more will the people want?  Be sensible and wise.

          Meanwhile Najib denied that Deputy Prime Minister Tan Seri Muhyiddin Yassan described the call by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng that the public wear red, green and yellow outfits during the Chinese New Year celebration organised by the Penang Barisan Nasional  as stupid.

          He said the function was merely being held to celebrate the Chinese New Year which is very meaningful to the Chinese community in the country.

          “Why tarnish a function organised with good intentions with political elements which have got nothing to do with it?”

          After Bersih 2.0, I think everybody has become very sensitive to colours.  I must say I am no exception.  What a big deal.  Well, well…… if no one was so stupid to catch those wearing Bersih 2.0 and over-reacted to the colour yellow with the word ‘Bersih 2.0’, I guess nobody will find emphasizing the colours ‘red, green and yellow’ worth the effort.  After the incident, I have become sensitive to colours, too.  I often look around to see what colours people often wear intentionally / unintentionally.  It seems more and more people wear yellow and green than ever before.  Actually, I like blue, green, purple and brown colours.  Blue seems to be the colour for the BN pact.  Nowadays, I tend to make conscious effort not to choose things blue in colour.  If it happens that I chose the thing blue in colour, that means I was careless again.  I tried to avoid the colour as much as I can.

          Is it true that the function organised without political elements and intentions at all?  Touch the Quran and swear to say “No.” if you dare.

          “If he (Lim) wants to carry out a function, by all means, we don’t obstruct, why take down the 1Malaysia poster and my picture, this is a Chinese New Year celebration, ” he said.       

         

          Are we all equal before law?  So, did you follow the law to hang 1Malaysia poster?  Did you apply for permission to do so?  Were you respecting the law  a basic principle to hang the posters at will?

All the best!