Utility giant Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) - which is facing a financial blackout - has bad debts running into the billions. Topping the list of defaulters is Perwaja Steel Sdn Bhd.

Perwaja, which owes a whopping RM254.33 million, took pole position in the Top 10 list of companies with colossal outstanding electricity bills.

The figures were revealed by Deputy Energy, Water and Communication Minister Shaziman Abu Mansor during the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.

He also revealed that TNB would still be in financial shock even if it cleared all its debts amounting to RM29.9 billion.

"Even if all is cleared, TNB still cannot sustain itself because its annual profit is about RM2 billion but its expenditure is around RM6 billion a year," he said.

TNB had sought an approval from the government to raise its tariff by 10 percent but this was rejected by the cabinet. The company was asked to submit a revised proposal.

TNB had proposed to exempt those whose bills do not exceed a monthly consumption of 100 kilowatt-hours from the increase but the government said the line should be drawn at 200 kilowatt-hours.

For the 100 kilowatt-hours, only those paying less than RM21.50 per month would be exempted while the cut-off point for 200 kilowatt hours is at RM43 per month.

RM48mil for street lamps

Meanwhile, Shaziman also revealed that up to January this year, electricity bills owed to TNB amounted to RM2.324 billion.

"Domestic users owed RM441.01 million, commercial RM708.83 million, industries RM1.125 billion, mining RM660,000 and street lamps RM48.39 million," he said.

As for companies, Perwaja, whose former managing director Eric Chia is now in the dock over a criminal breach of trust charge, led the pack who owed a total of RM295.08 million.

The rest were Nur Distribution Sdn Bhd (RM19 million), Pendinginan Megajana (RM6.69 million), United Paper Board (M) (RM2.98 million), Syarikat Stadium Shah Alam (RM2.89 million), Teck See Plastic Sdn Bhd (RM2.76 million), Merbok MDF Sdn Bhd (RM2.19 million), MCB Industries Sd Bhd (RM1.62 million), Infineon Technologies (RM1.34 million) and Nibong Tebal Paper Mill (RM1.28 million).

Answering a supplementary question from Ismail Sabri Yaakob (BN-Bera), the deputy minister denied that TNB only acted against poor people with bad debts and not rich companies.