Don't blame the IPPs or EPU, blame Mahathir

'The mother of all these IPPs and the mother of all these wasteful 'piratisation' is none other than the PM of 22 years.' Tun Mahathir must have 'instructed' EPU to order TNB to sign the agreements with his IPP cronies.

Well-connected IPPs, badly conned consumers

Poppyie: The first and pioneering IPP (independent power producers) was YTL, which was granted two licences - one in Pasir Gudang and another in Paka.

Certainly YTL must be well-connected, otherwise it would not have gotten two licences. And with added sweetener: it was allowed to operate next door to TNB power stations at both sites.

In Pasir Gudang, YTL was offered to operate on TNB land at a nominal rental cost while in turn it charges TNB hefty amounts for the energy delivered. Situated next door to TNB's systems, YTL simply connect to TNB's system thereby saving hundreds of millions in transmission cost in terms of erecting pylons, cables, way leave and land cost.

Because of their well-connected system, IPPs get paid promptly within a month from their invoice date, otherwise TNB would be penalised with 8 percent interest over any delay exceeding 30 days. While other contractors have to run around, and it would be manna from heaven if they got paid within 30 days.

Tailek: Don't blame the IPPs. They are commercial enterprises out to make profits and if they can get a sweet deal from the government or TNB, why should they reject it? Blame Dr Mahathir Mohamad for taking us down this road full of bumps and potholes.

Cala: Who is the enabler of the 'royal screw' on TNB? So yet again we see another set of privatisation projects failed under the personal tutelage of Mahathir. Through time, Mahathir comes to symbolise failures, insincerity and hypocrisy. He was, and still is, Malaysia's largest liability.

Michael Angelo: The mother of all these IPPs and the mother of all these wasteful 'piratisation' is none other than the PM of 22 years. The MACC should investigate these IPP agreements and other wasteful 'piratisation' projects.

I am sure if they do a reasonably good job, the former PM should be behind bars in no time. - Malaysiakini with own additions