My misadventure or rather, eye-opener, with TNB.

When I paid my last electricity bill, I purposely omitted payment for the Renewable Energy (RE) charge, which was RM1.35. Less than three weeks after the due date, I received the familiar yellow letter from TNB—the notice for disconnection of electricity supply. The northern Malay dialect would say that TNB is "kelapaq" for merely RM1.35! Instead of just writing off the chicken feed considering that the power tariff had just been hiked, TNB had the cheek to threaten me with a power disconnection for mere RM1.35 arrears!

Armed with the yellow letter, I went to the TNB's regional office with the intention of making a big noise about the RE charge coupled with the latest hike in electricity tariffs. I had prepared the exact amount of coins that I wanted to pay the arrears with. When I asked for the queue number, I was advised by the front desk clerk to pay at a kiosk considering the rather long line ahead of me. I told the clerk that I wanted to pay with coins. The courteous clerk then had a look at my yellow letter and upon seeing the amount of arrears, she advised me to go upstairs to get the arrears cancelled. I said to her that I doubted that TNB would cancel my arrears. I was then directed to the front manager who had the courtesy to check my account and informed me that TNB would not disconnect my supply for the tiny amount of arrears. He politely advised me to pay the arrears together with my next bill. The courtesy and politeness of TNB's public-relation or customer-service officials melted my heart and I just left the TNB's office saying thank you to the front manager who shook my hand.

What I'm saying here is I don't have a heart of stone. Even though TNB appeared to be heartless when it raised the electricity tariffs, I understand that the hike was beyond TNB's purview, and TNB management's hands are tied when it comes to deciding an adjustment in power tariffs. I submitted countless complaints to TNB concerning the tariff hike just to vent my anger and frustration on the real heartless culprit behind the power tariff hike—the BN government!

A notice for power disconnection from TNB for just RM1.35 arrears!