'Pakatan not disrespecting Rulers'

In light of the political crisis in Perak, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today stressed that Pakatan Rakyat was not fighting against what has been enshrined in the constitution for the Rulers. Nor was the opposition coalition disrespecting royalty in the country.

He said this in response to Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Al-Haj of Selangor who had warned against questioning the powers of the Rulers.

According to Lim, who is also Penang chief minister, the royalty is enshrined in the constitution and what the Selangor sultan said was a "general interpretation".

"It is just a general interpretation of what was meant and what was said. I think with all the various interpretations, the basic fact is this, the people should be the ones who decide on the government," Lim told a press conference in Petaling Jaya this afternoon.

"When the people have decided, that decision is embodied in the Rulers’ constitution for it be given effect by choosing the party that commands the majority or has the mandate. And 54 percent of the people in Perak have chosen Pakatan," he added.

Instead, Lim accused Umno of not respecting royalty when party members protested against the appointments of menteris besar for Terengganu and Perlis back in March 2008, several days after the general election.

That was when a number of Umno rallies were held in protest against the decisions of the Sultan of Terengganu and the Raja of Perlis in appointing their chosen candidates.

"Let’s look back at the demonstrations that were held in those two states where harsh words would have been used. But what happened to these reports?" asked Lim.

That was the reason why, he explained, ousted Perak Menteri Besar Nizar Jamaluddin filed a suit against newly-appointed Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir rather than Sultan Azlan Shah, who made the decision to give BN the mandate to rule in the silver state.

Focus should stay on economy

Amidst what was happening in Perak, Lim said the focus should stay on economic issues and expressed disappointment over the reduction in electricity tariffs.

Responding to Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s announcement that it would reduce electricity tariffs by an average of 3.7 percent, Lim said the reduction was too small.

"Compared to what had happened last June when the tariffs were increased by 26 percent when world crude oil prices skyrocketed, this reduction is completely inadequate."

He said although TNB said it would face a loss of RM1.2 billion because of the reduction, he claimed TNB spends more on Independent Power Producers (IPPs) for power it does not use.

"TNB pays RM3 billion to IPPs for nothing. What is this compared to the RM1.2 billion that it will lose?" asked Lim.

He stressed that electricity tariffs should be reduced by 26 percent in line with world crude oil prices that currently hover around US38 (RM136) per barrel.

Lim also blasted the federal government, which in 1997, had provided gas subsidies worth RM63 billion to power industries, of which RM36 billion was given to IPPs.

"But what have IPPs done for the people? They are private companies. When they gain profit, they don’t share it with Malaysians. But when they face a loss, all of us feel the impact," he said, adding that unemployment benefits should be introduced in the wake of the economic crisis for those who have been retrenched.