I REFER to the issues raised by Pola Singh in respect of alternative sources of power in Malaysia in “Give the RE (renewable energy) club a boost” (NST, Nov 4).

To promote renewable energy or green energy in the country, it is not enough to get the big players, in this case, Tenaga Nasional Berhad, to lead the way.

A pricing incentive is not the only method to attract participation because it is only a short-term approach that will not yield any signi-ficant macro impact in the protection and preservation of the environment, including climate change, in the country.

The failure to garner support in implementing green energy is not because of failure of the small renewable energy producers policy.

Even the revised National Biotechnology Plan 2005 did not address the outstanding issue of green energy within the implementation framework.

This calls for a paradigm shift in adopting a sustainable twin biotechnological and environmental policy (B&E policy) that involves stakeholders such as the private sector and the public consumer.

The National Mission 2006-2020 under the Ninth Malaysian Plan did not take this into consideration.

The proposed B&E policy will not only incorporate environmental tax incentives but also take advantage of the carbon tax regime or trading scheme to achieve competitive biotechnological and environmental sustainability.

This will undoubtedly improve Malaysia’s global image in tandem with its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol which was signed in 1999 and ratified in 2002.

JEONG CHUN PHUOC, Malacca

Source: NST – November 11, 2008