KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 – The Federal government is optimistic that the takeover of Puncak Niaga Holdings Berhad (PNHB) assets by Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor) will conclude as scheduled on Oct 15. Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry (KeTTHA) Secretary-General Datuk Loo Took Gee said the process was moving as planned with some of the procedures needed to be fulfilled before being put to bed.
She told reporters after the opening of Asean Energy Business Forum (AEBF) 2015 here on Monday that they had signed the supplementary agreement due to there is no issue. She said everything was moving well and what they need is for the state to come out with the assets, which they have already done.
“Meanwhile, things would be done at par and the next thing is for the Selangor government to take over the operations. There is no problem at all and in fact, the money has already been parked with the person and the payment would be done very soon once the assets are provided,” said Datuk Loo.
The AEBF 2015 will be held in conjunction with the 33rd Asean Ministers on Energy Meeting and it will officiated by Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Dr James Dawos Mamit. In the same time, Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Alid on Oct 3 said PNHB and Air Selangor were resolving several technical issues involving the takeover of the company and believed it could meet the deadline.
The PNHB board of directors on Sept 14 agreed to extend the takeover period, for the eighth time, for a month from Sept 14 to enable Air Selangor to meet earlier conditions under the conditional sale and purchase agreement dated Nov 11, 2014. Datuk Loo also pointed out that it took some time for the project to commence as some of the procedures needed to be finalised.
In the same time, Dawos also said at a press conference that the management of the Bakun Hydroelectric Dam was reviewing a proposal to distribute electricity to Peninsular Malaysia which was delayed due to the 1998 Asian financial crisis. He said this will enable the peninsula to have sufficient energy supply. He also adding that, “That was the original plan in 1996 when I was involved in monitoring the Bakun project.
“Therefore, Bakun is looking at transferring electricity from Semantan, Sarawak to Tanjung Piai, Johor. In additional, apart from the Bakun Dam, Sarawak had recently completed the Murum Dam with a generating capacity of 970 megawatts, while another dam, the Baleh Dam, which was about to be constructed, could generate 2,000 megawatts,” he said.
