'Ex-chief sec's son-in-law got FiT quotas fairly'
The government today said that 12 companies which won the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) quotas for solar power belongs to former chief secretary to the government Mohd Sidek Hassan's son-in-law.
The government today said that 12 companies which won the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) quotas for solar power belongs to former chief secretary to the government Mohd Sidek Hassan's son-in-law.
Replying to Fuziah Salleh (PKR-Kuantan) during Question Time in Parliament today, Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Peter Chin said that this, however, does not mean that there was any hanky panky.
"It is true that they are companies belonging to the former chief secretary's son-in-law, Mr Todd (Morath), but he had (won the quotas) the right way, that is by bidding online.
"He did not see me so that I can give it to him. He bid online just like any other companies. How can I fault him just because he is the chief secretary's son-in-law? This is a fair bidding system," he said.
It is, however, unclear if the companies are the same to those belonging to Mohd Sidek's daughter Suzi Suliana, whom the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (Seda) had previously confirmed won a large chunk of the solar power quota.
Quotas still available
Chin added that neither the minister nor the Seda chairperson has the authority or ability to intervene in the bidding process as it was all done online, with bidders able to see results in real time.
"Many people wrote to me and met me in my office to say they wanted to get involved in the FiT industry but I told them, 'Sorry, you have to bid online'," he said.
Fuziah ( right ) had asked if it is true that 30 percent of the quota had gone to Mohd Sidek's son-in-law and if this meant the FiT programme is only benefitting government's cronies.
Chin also said that it is a misconception that all the FiT quotas have run out.
"Only the solar quotas for solar photovoltaics, have run out because they are popular, but even then only for the more than five megawatt quotas. The solar quotas for five kilowatts and below, for domestic use, is still available," he said.
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