Sidek’s family ‘controlling solar power sale’

The daughter of the former chief secretary to the government is said to monopolise the the newly introduced resalable alternative energy scheme.

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Rakyat alleged today that the daughter of the former chief secretary to the government has monopoly over the newly introduced resalable alternative energy scheme and wants Putrajaya to respond immediately.

DAP national publicity chief Tony Pua claimed research shows that Suzi Suliana, the daughter of Mohd Sidek Hassan, controls more than 32% or 45MW from the quota set for solar energy via the Feed-In Tariff (FiT) mechanism, far above the limit of 1MW-5W to companies.

Under the FiT programme, power generated from renewable energy would be resold through the Sustainable Energy Development Authority.

The energy is sold back to consumers by Tenaga Nasional Bhd at a subsidised price.

This is provided for under the Sustainable Energy Development Authority Act 2011.

The FiT scheme was aimed at developing the use of renewable energy in the country and is funded by the public via the consumers through a 1% increase in power rates for those using more than 300kWh.

The programme falls under the purview of the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry, which promised to prevent monopolisation and favouritism to any FiT applicants.

Suzi, however, was said to have secured the contracts through direct ownership of three companies and six others through partnerships despite the government’s pledge to disallow any form of preferential treatment.