Ex-Perlis MB denies graft claims over power plant

Despite a finding by Swiss authorities after exhaustive investigations, Umno veteran Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Pawanteh has denied accepting a bribe from French engineering giant Alstom for a power plant in Perlis.

The former Perlis mentri besar and Dewan Negara president was responding to the Singapore’s Straits Times that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officials raided his Teknologi Tenaga Perlis Consortium’s (TTPC) office last week as he was directly implicated in Alstom’s indictment for bribery in securing foreign contracts.

“I wish to categorically state that the allegations contained in the above report are totally baseless and malicious,” Abdul Hamid (picture) said in a statement to The Malaysian Insider last night.

Opposition can't grasp simple concept of subsidies

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui (centre) at a press conference held at his ministry in Putrajaya yesterday. With him are Petronas senior manager Abd Razak Saim (left) and Tenaga chief operating officer and executive director Datuk Azman Mohamad.

The Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry has slammed as inaccurate and misleading allegations of gas subsidies benefiting independent power producers and Tenaga Nasional Bhd.

Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui said he was worried that opposition members of parliament were "unable to grasp simple concepts such as subsidies" and so chose to misrepresent details for political mileage.

Asked if he was going to approach opposition MPs to clarify the issue, he said he had exhausted every avenue to explain the matter, including in Parliament.