Nearly half a million Kelantan consumers owe TNB RM229mil, Dewan Rakyat told
It said 492,174 electricity account users from Kelantan collectively owed RM229mil in unpaid bills to Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), with the highest arrears from domestic users (411,780 accounts, RM114mil).
This was followed by non-domestic users (commercial and industrial), with 80,196 accounts in arrears totalling RM53mil.
The remaining unpaid bills belong to Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd (AKSB), with 198 accounts totalling RM61mil in unpaid electricity bills.
The ministry noted in a parliamentary written reply dated Aug 7 that overall, electricity bill arrears in the state saw a minor decrease of RM4.33mil since December.
It noted that the hefty arrears were partially because of tenants moving out of residences, leaving their bills to be borne by the owners.
'Petra and TNB remain committed to assisting users in settling their arrears through customer-friendly approaches, which include offering flexible instalment plans.
'Enforcement action such as disconnecting supply is only taken as a last resort after all negotiations have failed,' it added.
The ministry advised affected users to contact TNB as soon as possible to discuss payment solutions and avoid supply disconnection or legal action.
The ministry also said it would continue to intensify awareness campaigns to encourage consistent bill payment and strengthen understanding of user responsibilities regarding their bills.
'Cooperation and a sense of responsibility from all parties are crucial to ensuring that the issue of electricity bill arrears can be controlled.
'An integrated effort between users, local authorities, property owners and TNB will help ensure that our energy system remains stable, sustainable and fair for all,' it added.
Zahari Kechik (IND-Jeli) wanted to know the number of Kelantan consumers who have outstanding electricity bills.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
Power infrastructure push to benefit TNB
PETALING JAYA: Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) is a key beneficiary and critical enabler of renewable energy (RE) under the 13th Malaysia Plan or 13MP, according to CGS International (CGSI) Research. In a note to clients, the research house said the recently unveiled plan reinforced the government's clean energy push and with over RM90bil planned through 2030. It saw strong upside to TNB's long-term earnings, backed by growing regulated returns and its central role in the country's energy transition. 'We estimate power demand to hit a new quarterly high in the second quarter of 2025 (2Q25) reversing its 1Q25 weakness. Step-up load from data centres (DCs) is emerging as the key growth driver. 'As of 1Q25, DC load utilisation stood at just 485MW – only 7% of TNB's 6.4GW in signed electricity supply agreements.' This alone suggested a robust 5% to 6% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) in power demand over the next six years, more than double the 2.3% CAGR seen in 2019 to 2024, underpinned by sustained foreign direct inflows and structural shifts in the power landscape, it said. The research house said the Federal Court's ruling on TNB's 2018 tax case had revived concerns over RM7.2bil in potential cash tax liabilities dating back to 2003. 'Given that the issue stemmed from a procedural misstep, not ineligibility, we believe a constructive resolution remains possible via the ongoing schedule 7B resubmission under the purview of the Finance minister. 'To address investor concerns, we conduct a scenario analysis outlining the effect on cashflows and dividends under various outcomes, which suggests manageable gearing impact and scope to sustain dividend per share even under a worse-case outcome,' added CGSI Research. It noted that TNB shed as much as RM10bil in market value post the tax ruling, implying that investors might had priced in a worst-case outcome. 'Even under this scenario, our target price would fall to RM16.77 – still 22% above current levels. 'In our view, the market is overlooking long-term recurring earnings upside while TNB's regulated earnings offer defensive appeal,' it said. TNB was trading at RM13.60 at the time of writing. Maybank Investment Bank Research (Maybank IB), in its report, said while not a material earnings contributor, Spark Renewables which is TNB's RE platform in Australia, plays a role in its RE talent development (operational expertise in developed/liberalised RE markets) and could contribute to the longer-term fulfilment of TNB's environmental, social, and governance targets. 'We view TNB's risk-reward favourably, with the tax overhang already partly priced-in. Maintain 'buy' with an unchanged target price of RM15.50,' it said. It noted that Australia's overall outlook for RE appeared attractive, with growing policy support and favourable structural trends. Solar and wind presently account for 50% of Australia's capacity and 40% of generation. The government, it added, had set an 82% RE generation target by 2030 and is aggressively improving and expanding the transmission grid. 'A significant proportion of Australia's coal capacity (25%) will likely be retired over the next decade, due mainly to unfavourable market dynamics.' Spark is a wholly-owned subsidiary of TNB headquartered in Sydney. It owns and operates a 120MW solar farm. According to Maybank IB, Spark is also developing more than 2,000MW of solar, wind and battery storage projects across three sites in New South Wales.
The Star
14 hours ago
- The Star
Nearly half a million Kelantan consumers owe TNB RM229mil, Dewan Rakyat told
KUALA LUMPUR: Almost 500,000 consumers in Kelantan have unpaid electricity bills amounting to over RM200mil as of June, says the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry. It said 492,174 electricity account users from Kelantan collectively owed RM229mil in unpaid bills to Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), with the highest arrears from domestic users (411,780 accounts, RM114mil). This was followed by non-domestic users (commercial and industrial), with 80,196 accounts in arrears totalling RM53mil. The remaining unpaid bills belong to Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd (AKSB), with 198 accounts totalling RM61mil in unpaid electricity bills. The ministry noted in a parliamentary written reply dated Aug 7 that overall, electricity bill arrears in the state saw a minor decrease of RM4.33mil since December. It noted that the hefty arrears were partially because of tenants moving out of residences, leaving their bills to be borne by the owners. 'Petra and TNB remain committed to assisting users in settling their arrears through customer-friendly approaches, which include offering flexible instalment plans. 'Enforcement action such as disconnecting supply is only taken as a last resort after all negotiations have failed,' it added. The ministry advised affected users to contact TNB as soon as possible to discuss payment solutions and avoid supply disconnection or legal action. The ministry also said it would continue to intensify awareness campaigns to encourage consistent bill payment and strengthen understanding of user responsibilities regarding their bills. 'Cooperation and a sense of responsibility from all parties are crucial to ensuring that the issue of electricity bill arrears can be controlled. 'An integrated effort between users, local authorities, property owners and TNB will help ensure that our energy system remains stable, sustainable and fair for all,' it added. Zahari Kechik (IND-Jeli) wanted to know the number of Kelantan consumers who have outstanding electricity bills.
New Straits Times
15 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Cabinet to review long-awaited Bukit Merah water project this week
TELUK INTAN: The long-awaited water transfer project from Sungai Perak to Tasik Bukit Merah is finally moving forward, with a cabinet paper set to be tabled this week. Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said the project involves a major infrastructure initiative aimed at addressing irrigation and water supply needs in northern Perak. He said the state government has submitted its feedback and views particularly on the proposed route for the water transfer to ensure the project meets local needs and minimises negative impacts. "I have been informed that the cabinet paper will be tabled this week. Previously, during the exco (executive council) meeting, we decided that the cabinet paper must take into account the requests, comments, and feedback from the state government. "Firstly, water is a state right. Secondly, the state knows better which routes are more suitable, as we want to minimise the risk of flooding, reduce land acquisition, and avoid relocating too many people," he said. Saarani told this to reporters after attending the Meet the Customer Day event at Dewan MPTI Langkap here today. A cabinet paper is a formal document used to present policy proposals or other significant matters to the government for discussion and decision-making. Saarani said certain routes could affect populated areas, which would require costly compensation and resettlement processes. "We have officially written to the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry to convey our stand. "While I can't disclose the contents of the cabinet paper, as it is highly confidential, I am confident that our input is being taken into account," he said. He said, once the cabinet greenlights the paper, the next phase will involve the Finance Ministry in terms of funding allocation. He added that the implementation of the RM6.2 billion project, originally estimated at RM5 billion, must benefit local contractors. "We have proposed, and the ministry has agreed, to appoint a joint venture between PKNPk (Perak State Development Corporation) and Gamuda Bhd. "At the same time, smaller local contractors, especially G1-class contractors, must also be given opportunities under the project," he said. Saarani said the state is in the midst of finalising the project alignment through a series of workshops involving state representatives in the decision-making process. "If everything goes smoothly, I hope the project can be expedited. The main objective is to solve the irrigation issues in the northern agricultural zones," he said. He added that the project is also expected to support the water supply needs of the Kerian Integrated Green Industrial Park (KIGIP). "Only if there is excess supply will the state consider selling water to Penang. This project addresses three goals in one — agriculture, industrial development, and potentially water sales," he said. When asked about the final length of the water transfer alignment, Saarani said he could not confirm the exact figure, as several route options had been evaluated.
