Return SESB to Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has called for the State’s power utility management to be fully returned to the State Government after the Sabah’s worst blackout in recent memory on Monday.

Information Chief, Chong Pit Fah said the more than seven hours blackout affecting all major districts in the State as well as the State Capital served as an eye opener on the commitment and competence of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) under Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) in managing the state’s power supply.

He cited in Sarawak, the State Government there had been managing its own power utility all this while, but no report of such blackouts.

Unlike in Sabah, he said such problems remained despite TNB taking over the majority share under the corporatisation exercise of the Sabah Electricity Board (SEB).

“And SESB has been assurances one after another about measures it has taken to ensure sufficient power in Sabah.

“It also boasted that it has upgraded the power distribution system with the completion of the power grid, which supposedly able to distribute electricity even if one power plant is shut down anywhere in the parts of Sabah.

“But, the case on Monday clearly showed that all this is merely talks and when the real thing comes … everything came into a halt,” he said in a statement here.

Chong said the people were also baffled that such an important facility (Penampang main power distribution centre) could “catch fire” easily lending credence to the inability of TNB/SESB to manage Sabah’s power supply.

More importantly, he said SAPP had been receiving complaints from the public and particularly businessmen dealing with frozen meat and foodstuff were at lost with the situation as no information was given to them by the government.

“They really need information on the actual situation and if the government is going to provide them temporary solution like hiring temporary power generator set so that their goods will not get rotten but nothing was forthcoming,” he said.

Towards this end, Chong said TNB/SESB must be held responsible for all the losses incurred by the businesses and people during the power outage,” he said.