KOTA KINABALU: Parti Solidariti Tanahairku (Sabah Star) fully supports the take-over of full regulatory control of electricity supply by the state, saying it hopes to see an end of frequent power woes in the near future.
Its Secretary-General II Rizal Johari said in a statement that Sabah has for a long time been suffering from frequent power disruptions.
“We experienced one of the worst periods recently with very frequent electricity disruptions here and there across the state. But this is not something new to us in Sabah. For a very long time, blackouts have become part of our daily life and for many, they have become accustomed to it.
“We all know that electricity powers development. And to develop the state, we need to attract as many investors. Obviously, they want to be assured that we have stable and reliable as well as cheap electricity to power their businesses.
“Sabah is said to be the poorest state and not long ago, it was announced that eight of the poorest districts in the country are located in our state. If we don’t change our electricity situation, we can’t change our economic situation. We can’t be progressive and prosperous,” he said.
Two days ago, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said that the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had, in principle, given the green light for Sabah to take over regulatory control of its power supply on Jan 1, 2024.
Hajiji said that in anticipation of the handing over of the regulatory control of electricity supply to Sabah, the Federal Government was urged to facilitate and continue the processes to ensure on-time completion of the projects planned under the Sabah Generation Development Plan.
He said this included fast-track measures to increase power at the East Coast, which will quickly restore Sabah’s electricity reserve margin to at least 30 per cent by September this year.
He was quoted as saying that this would provide an immediate solution to the acute capacity shortage in Sabah, thus demonstrating the state and federal government’s commitment to resolve the issue comprehensively and effectively.
Rizal concurred that even though the electricity problem in Sabah is a legacy issue, the GRS state government led by Hajiji has taken concrete action to overcome it.
“This government takes action because it understands that to keep the development engine going, it needs reliable and sustainable power. And it also wants to have some control over it because it is the architect of its own future,” said Rizal, who is also the Private Secretary to Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.
On this note, Rizal said he is confident that the Sabah Maju Jaya development roadmap will deliver tangible impact to the lives of Sabahans, including those living far from the state grid in the interior.
Meanwhile, a briefing session on the takeover will be held on June 15 for Sabah Members of Parliament, the Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd and the state government.
“I hope to hear favourable news after the briefing session,” said Rizal.-pr/BNN
