Support energy-saving

Support energy-saving, Gerakan urges 

Press statement by Dr Cheah Soon Hai, Gerakan head of central bureau on environment, safety and quality of life, and Derga state assemblyman 

March 19, 2010 

The government’s decision to save power by stopping the use of traditional light bulbs by January 2014 is a good move which should be supported by the people, said Gerakan’s head of central bureau on environment, safety and quality of life, Dr Cheah Soon Hai. 
Dr Cheah said efficient energy usage meant using less energy to provide the same level of energy service. 
He said a good example is to use fluorescent lights or skylights which are cheaper instead of incandescent lights (also called traditional light bulbs) to attain the same level of illumination. Incandescent lights are less energy-efficient. 
Dr Cheah, who is also Derga State Assemblyman, commended Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for walking the talk when the Prime Minister made a commitment for Malaysia to reduce carbon intensity by 40% during the United Nations Framework Convention on climate Change Conference in Copenhagen last December. 
“This move by the government to save power may not be a major step but it is a good initiative to reduce energy,” he said in a statement, adding that energy efficiency had proved to be a cost-effective strategy for building economies. 
Dr Cheah said it had been established that a 13-watt fluorescent light bulb would output the same amount of visible light as a 60 watt incandescent bulb, thus, “we are getting more light for less energy.” 
He said making homes, vehicles, and businesses more energy efficient would also help to address the problems of global warming, pollution and energy security.  
Modern energy-efficient appliances, such as refrigerators, ovens and stoves use significantly less energy than older appliances. Current energy efficient refrigerators, for example, use 40 % less energy than conventional models about 10 years ago. 
“While traditional light bulbs are being phased out, research and development on energy-efficient bulbs should be stepped up,” he said, adding that Gerakan is committed to become a "green party" and will work closely with the Government to initiate the green concrete action to achieve tangible results. 
Power, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin, said the government’s move to stop the use of traditional light bulbs would help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 732,000 tonnes a year. 
“The shift to more energy-efficiency bulbs will help reduce energy usage in the country by 1,074 gigawatts a year. This is 1% of the total current usage,” he told a press conference on Thursday.