IPOH: Failing to pay millions for electricity, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) recently cut off power supply to the Movie Animation Park Studios (MAPS) in Meru here.
Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu said the unpaid bill which cost less than RM4 million was due to loan repayment defaults with the bank.
“I learnt MAPS was closed for two days during the school break after TNB cut off the electricity supply.
"When we asked TNB, they told us that MAPS failed to pay electricity bills for months and there is also a management issue when MAPS was taken over by the bank," he said today.
He told reporters this after launching Rumah Perakku Phase 1 at Taman Raia Perdana housing project, a cooperation between Menteri Besar Incorporated (MB Inc) and MK Land here.
Ahmad Faizal however said after having discussions with TNB, the electricity supply had been restored and operation was back to normal.
"We are currently having a series of discussions with various quarters to solve this problem but I can't make any announcement yet," he said.
Checks on the MAPS Facebook account showed that there was an announcement on the changes in operating hours starting Saturday.
MAPS will be operating five days a week and will be closed every Monday and Tuesday except public and school holidays.
On Dec 6 last year, a portal reported that Affin Hwang Investment Bank Bhd (Affin Investment) had put Animation Theme Park Sdn Bhd (ATP), an indirect 51%-owned subsidiary of Perak Corp Bhd, under receivership.
Affin Investment had appointed Datuk Duar Tuan Kiat of Messrs Ernst & Young as receiver and manager over the property of ATP.
ATP, which operates MAPS, had defaulted in its repayment of principal payment for the amount of RM25.7 million in respect of a syndicated term loan facility granted by the lenders involving Affin Investment, Affin Bank Bhd, Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Bhd and Malaysia Debt Ventures Bhd.
The theme park was built at a cost of RM520 million.