DAP Sarawak seeks explanation over suspension of Kuching hydrogen bus services

KUCHING (March 28): Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak has called on the Sarawak Transport Ministry to explain the abrupt suspension of hydrogen bus services in Kuching, ongoing since August last year.

DAP Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen said he had raised the matter in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) last November, but only recently received a written reply from the ministry.

He said the ministry’s response stated that the acquisition cost of each hydrogen bus was below RM1.5 million.

“On operating costs, the reply indicated that the trial operations of the three hydrogen-powered buses in Kuching are subsidised by the government, with hydrogen fuel supplied through Sarawak Energy Berhad’s (SEB) hydrogen plant and refuelling station,” he said in a statement.

However, Chong criticised the response as lacking transparency and accountability.

“The answer reveals the ineptitude, non-transparency and a lack of accountability on the part of the Sarawak Transport Ministry,” he said.

Chong added that it took the state government six years to trial the hydrogen bus initiative, which he described as ‘excessively long for technical feasibility and operational assessments’.

“Six years to test the technical feasibility of a bus is unheard of. It is far too long for both operational and infrastructural assessments.”

Chong also questioned the absence of clear disclosure on the actual operational costs.

“Even if the hydrogen fuel was supplied by SEB (Sarawak Energy Berhad), there are still costs involved.

“SEB, being fully-owned by the state government, has a duty to disclose the figure.

“As for the part on operation costs being ‘subsidised by the government’, that begs the question how much the government subsidises the hydrogen buses,” he added.

Chong said the fact that all these operational costs were borne by the state government and state-owned SEB made it even more pertinent for the state MoT to disclose the costs.

“Otherwise, the people of Sarawak will just be paying blindly for these hydrogen buses,” he said.