‘Is Taib stealing electricity?’

The Sarawak Report alleges that Chief Minister Taib Mahmud has a subterranean cable that by-passes the meter and the Sarawak DAP is calling for an investigation.

KUCHING: Is Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud such a tight wad that he has to resort to stealing electricity to keep his bills down?

The Sarawak Report website claimed that Taib had installed a secret subterranean electricity cable which by-passes the meter outside his house in order to keep down his electricity bills.

The Sarawak DAP now wants the Sarawak Electricity Supply Corporation (Sesco) to carry out a thorough investigation.

“In the wake of the report which appeared in Sarawak Report, Sesco must carry out an investigation in order to clear the name of the chief minister.

“And if the report is not correct, then it should clear chief minister’s name. But if the report is correct, then it should prosecute Taib,” DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen said.

“Sesco must be transparent on this as it is of public interest,” said Chong who is the state assemblyman for Kota Sentosa.

He was asked to comment on a report on the Sarawak Report website which alleges that Taib had stolen electricity to keep down his electricity bills.

In its article published in March this year, Sarawak Report said that at a time when people were struggling to cope with the rising electricity costs, it has established that the chief minister “steals” electricity to keep down his own bills.

“This astonishing information came to us from senior insiders, who are in a good position to know what is happening in Taib’s household.

“We have subsequently obtained corroborative evidence from the chief technician in charge of maintenance at his grand residence at Demak Jaya.

“What we have learnt is that the chief minister has deliberately installed a secret, subterranean electricity cable, which by-passes the meter outside his house.

“The cable links the mains directly to the line entering the house. This means that while some of the supply still travels though the meter, at least half of it does not, thereby slashing Taib’s electricity bill,” claimed Sarawak Report.

Unreasonable power supplier

Meanwhile, Chong said that a Sesco consumer surnamed Chong (no relation to him) has received a summons to appear in the magistrate’s court on Aug 1 for non-payment of Sesco bills amounting to RM3,396.30.

According to Chong, the amount was incurred when Sesco changed the consumer’s electricity meter without his knowledge as it was a bit slow in 2009.

Sesco billed him RM3,396.30 for 36 months for underpayment and this amount included administrative and meter fees of RM400 and RM150 respectively.

After receiving the bill, the consumer, who is a plumber, approached a Sesco officer who asked him to wait. This month he received the summons to appear in court on Aug 1.

“This is the first case that Sesco has brought to court a consumer over the change of electricity meter. DAP feels that the manner Sesco charges its customers is oppressive and our lawyers will fight the matter in court, if need be right to the court of appeal,” Chong said.