PKR's Selayang MP William Leong has added to calls for the Pakatan Harapan government to abort the RM1.35/kWh surcharge in electricity tariff for commercial users which took effect on July 1.

"Although the surcharge is not applicable to domestic (residential) customers, the industries affected will in turn pass on the increased costs to consumers, thereby affecting their cost of living.

"This will be against the Harapan government’s promise to reduce the cost of living," he said in a statement today.

PKR vice president Rafizi Ramli had on Monday raised similar concerns, pointing out that the second half of this year was a critical period in attempting to lower the cost of living with the zero-rating of the Goods and Services Tax.

Rafizi had expressed concern that the tariff surcharge will prompt businesses to use it as justification to refuse to reduce the prices of goods.

Under the Imbalance Cost Pass-Through (ICPT) system, Tenaga National Bhd can pass the additional increase in energy generation cost to consumers.
For the period Jan 1 to June 30, 2018, TNB is allowed to pass through RM698.19 million to its customers.

However, Leong pointed out that TNB made a profit of RM2.116 billion for the first quarter ending March 31, 2018.

"The Harapan government must immediately review the ICPT mechanism as part of its promise to reduce the cost of living.

"Record profits and doubling of dividends to the shareholders of TNB while the government and the public bear the additional costs may be business as usual for the BN government, but it should certainly not be acceptable to the Harapan government," he said.