KUALA LUMPUR, June 29 (Bernama) -- Malaysians have welcomed the decision by the Unity Government to maintain electricity tariffs for all users in Peninsular Malaysia until Dec 31 and view it as a step to ease inflation and the rising cost of living.
Senior citizen and housewife M. Shanti, 62, said although the move might not seem significant, it has far-reaching consequences, as any rise in utility costs would have imposed additional strain to monthly living costs for everyone.
"This shows that the government understands the challenges faced by Malaysians, striving to ensure stability and affordability, a reassuring step that allows us to focus on essential needs without the worry of escalating expenses, particularly important for those of us managing our homes alone,” she said.
Social media content creator, Vicky Chandran, 25, who mostly works from home, said today’s announcement proved that the government really considered the public's the impact of rising costs on people’s livelihood.
She said the news was positive for her as her line of work required a lot of time in front of her laptop and phone and as such, she used a great deal of electricity at home.
Civil servant Mohamad Tarmizi Abdul Rahman, 37, who works in TERENGGANU, expressed relief that while there was no reduction in tariffs, there were also no additional costs placed on his monthly commitments, while in PERLIS, public university employee Aininulniza Mohd Yusof, 37, saw the move as the government’s concern towards the current problems and economic challenges faced by the average Malaysian.
In KELANTAN, housewife, Mona Ahmad, 52, said that the retention of existing tariffs would ensure her monthly expenses, including utility bills, would remain as normal.
"I also hope that the government’s move to not raise electricity tariffs will be extended to a longer period to allow us to prepare for next year’s schooling period,” she said.
Consumers in NEGERI SEMBILAN, KEDAH and JOHOR, Assan Kidam, 74; Khairuddin Mohd Aziz, 53 and Mohammed Khairul Mohd Ali, 39 all viewed the announcement as the right move as it will not affect household finances.
Petty traders like biscuit seller Muhammad Hafiq Norzan, 32, and seamstress Maisarah Halim, 46, who run their respective businesses in PAHANG and MELAKA, felt that the retention of the electricity tariffs would help them balance business costs and sale prices to buyers.
Meanwhile in PENANG, the Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) welcomed the government’s move to reduce the surcharge by 1 sen/kWh for street lighting category (tariff G and G1), with Seberang Perai Mayor Baderul Amin Abdul Hamid stating that the reduction would allow the council to save up to five per cent in payments to Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), and a total reduction of around RM740,000 annually.
Meanwhile, PERAK State Consumer Movement member Khairul Anwar El Syazalli Musa noted that the upcoming implementation of targeted subsidies would be more significant than today’s tariff announcement.
“As an entity that’s close to the people, the government can hold townhall sessions with all consumer associations to get more detailed information and data as consumer associations are different from industry associations,” he said.
The Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry also announced today that the government has also agreed to lower the surcharge by 1 sen/kWh for street lighting category (tariff G and G1) under the supervision of the local authorities for the same period.
Commercial and industrial users will also enjoy a reduction in the Imbalance Cost Pass-Through (ICPT) rate of 1 sen/kWh from July to December 2024.
-- BERNAMA
