Wong Kah Woh dismissed as Seda chairperson

DAP’s Ipoh Timur MP Wong Kah Woh (above) said he has been officially dismissed from his position as chairperson of the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (Seda) by the new Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.

“I received the letter of termination as Seda chairperson from the office of the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources’ office yesterday.

“The termination never served as a surprise and I must ‘applaud’ the ‘efficiency’ shown by the PN government, through its various ministries, as they can still be busy in ensuring all their appointments are in place despite the whole nation fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic,” Wong said in a statement last night.

He also thanked his team at Seda for their cooperation and trust, adding that he believes they have strengthened the growth of renewable energy in Malaysia with notable reforms, such as in terms of enhancing efficiency, transparency and competitiveness in the system.

Among the reforms, Wong said, was the upgrade of the net energy metering (Nem) programme, through the adoption of the true net energy metering concept, which allows excess solar PV generated energy to be exported back to the grid on a one-on-one basis.

He said the upgrade of the Nem programme also encouraged the growth of the solar energy industry in Malaysia.

“In the year 2019 alone, Seda has approved 94.14MW quota for Nem, which is 6.8 times more than the cumulated approved Nem quota from 2016 to 2018,” Wong said.

Seda had also conducted a study on decarbonising the electricity sector in Malaysia, with the final report, ‘Renewable Energy Transition Roadmap (RETR) 2035’, being completed early this year, he said.

“This roadmap will be an important document to determine the future of the electricity scenario in 2035.

“The new ministry should ensure that RETR is launched and implemented as it is an effort not only by Seda Malaysia, but also by the respective agencies that include the Energy Commission (EC) and the industry players.

“The system is set and the paths are clear. There shouldn’t be any discontinuance of the reforms and efforts if the new ministry is truly dedicated in bringing the renewable energy sector to a new height in Malaysia,” Wong said.

Aside from Wong, Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin was also removed as the Labuan Port Authority (LPA) chairperson on April 12, while local councillors and village community management council members in Perak were also dismissed on the same day. - Mkini