Free up to RM20 or Just Pure Mockery and Cheap Gimmick?

Most Sarawakians still remember when Pakatan Rakyat took over the administration of the State of Selangor after March 8 General Election, the first thing that the Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim did was to announce free water for all Selangor residents up to RM20. The Menteri Besar really meant it. Any consumption above RM20, the consumer has to pay the extra. For example if in a particular month the consumption is RM20 and below, the comsumer would pay nothing; if the consumption for a particular month, say for example, RM22.90, the consumer would have to pay RM2.90 only as RM20 is free of charge.

In trying to emulate Selangor, the State Government of Sarawak, some months ago also announced a free electricity up to RM20 in any given month commencing September 2008. Everybody was happy with the announcement.

Looking closely at the way Pakatan Rakyat in Selangor and Barisan Nasional in Sarawak in implementing the free-of-charge amenity, there is one minor difference. In Sarawak, unlike in Selangor, consumers have to pay the full amount if the consumption is more than RM20 in any particular month, for instance, if in November 2008 the bill showed my consumption was RM22.56, I have to pay exactly RM22.56 to Syarikat Sesco Berhad. In other words, it is not free anymore. To entitle a consumer to get a free electricity the consumption in a particular month ought to be exactly RM20 or below. And there is one major difference, that is, if a consumer doesn't use electricity at all in a particular month, he has to pay the minimum RM5.

The biggest predicament is, how would a consumer know exactly at what stage he has consumed exactly RM20? There is nothing to indicate that he has used up to RM20 so that the consumer can immediately stop using electricity in order to enjoy the benefit of free electricity. On the other hand, if it can be calculated, and for example, on the 15th day of a particular month, the consumption has reached exactly RM20, the consumer has to stop using electricity in order to enjoy the benefit of free-of-charge electricity of up to RM20. Hence, the rest of the 15 days the consumer has to live in total darkness unless he supplements the 15 days using a private generator. And worst of all, the billing date may not necessarily from 1st to 30th of the month. So a consumer would not know when to begin or when to stop to enjoy the RM20 free electricity. That being the case, IS THAT REALLY FREE UP TO RM20?

To me, and I believe to all other consumers too, the system is not only silly, but also gravely misleading. It is a cheap gimmick enticing consumers into believing that electricity in Sarawak is really free up to RM20 consumption. In my case, for bill dated 11 December 2008, the billing period was from 14 November to 13 December with consumption of RM22.56. I have to pay the full amount of RM22.56. Is it not a falsehood and mockery to say that the State Government of Sarawak is giving RM20 per month free-of-charge electricity? If RM20 is really free, then I only would have to pay RM2.56 for a bill of RM22.56 for the billing period of 14 November to 13 December rightly emulating Selangor's commitment in giving water free-of-charge up to RM20 consumption per month.

I really don't know the motive of the State Government of Sarawak for having such a silly practice. If it is a cheap gimmick, just stop it because people are not so stupid to be ignorant of such gimmick. If it has been just a silly mistake, please, Datuk Sri Awang Tengah Ali Hassan just correct it immediately! I think Datuk Patinggi Alfred Jabu has to make a bit of noise about the matter. This is an appropriate time and circumstance for you, Datuk Patinggi. If you don't make noise Datuk Patinggi, it would only confirm our negative impression of you.