The Middle East conflict, which has disrupted global energy supplies since March, is now affecting other energy sectors in Malaysia, including natural gas and coal.
Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said the impact was a delayed effect of earlier disruptions that had initially been more apparent in the petrol market.
He said electricity consumers using more than 600 kilowatt-hours (kWh) a month were now beginning to feel the effects of rising global energy supply costs.
“For consumers using more than 600 kWh a month, we can now see the impact of this global energy supply disruption.
“In fact, the impact has spread to other energy sources, including the prices of natural gas, coal, and other commodities,” he said.
He was speaking at a press conference after handing over mock cheques totalling RM169,000 for upgrades to health clinics in the Johor Baru parliamentary constituency at Medan Niaga Kampung Melayu Majidee today.
Akmal Nasrullah said the majority of consumers using less than 600 kWh a month remained unaffected by changes in supply prices or fuel costs under the current tariff mechanism.
“Based on the current tariff mechanism, the majority of consumers using below 600 kWh do not face a direct impact in terms of pricing or the fuel costs we incur,” he said.
However, he said the government still had room to examine alternative mechanisms to address the impact of global energy supply costs.
He added that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would chair a special meeting today to evaluate and review issues affecting the public following the latest developments.
“The prime minister will assess the mechanism, and there may be other avenues we can explore,” he said.
Meanwhile, Akmal Nasrullah said the current hazy conditions could also contribute to higher electricity consumption as people were advised to remain indoors or in safer areas.
