Govt Must Explain Silence On Pengerang Solar Project Najib

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The federal government must explain its silence on the solar power project announced by Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar last week, said Pekan MP Najib Abdul Razak.

This came after the groundbreaking ceremony for the Sultan Ibrahim Solar Park scheduled for March 23 was cancelled when the federal government failed to give a response to the proposal.
“The Perikatan Nasional (PN) government needs to explain generally why it did not respond or approve this project so the Johor sultan would not be displeased and the people of Johor don’t feel sidelined by the federal government.

“There is no reason this project in Pengerang can’t be approved if it is privately funded and built on private or state government land,” the former premier said today.

The Johor ruler had announced the RM1.4 billion project in Pengerang, Kota Tinggi, on March 1. It is slated to be the biggest of its kind in Southeast Asia with a capacity of 450 megawatts.

However, the stakeholders and beneficiaries of the proposed project remain unclear.

Yesterday, Sultan Ibrahim said the groundbreaking ceremony was cancelled after Putrajaya failed to respond to the project, but there is no reason for the federal government to hold back on its approval.

“I don’t see any reason why the federal government would not be willing to give Johor a chance to be an eco-friendly producer of electricity.

“We have a suitable plot for the project, robust growth and development, as well as a healthy demand from our neighbour, all of which make Johor a most strategic location,” he said. - Mkini

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