SANDAKAN: Former Sandakan MP Chong Hon Min has sounded the alarm over Sabah’s latest electricity crisis, triggered by a disruption at Petronas’ offshore gas platform that forced statewide rotational blackouts.
He declared that Sabahans have endured an unreliable power grid for far too long, and this incident is a stark indictment of the system’s deep-seated vulnerabilities, severely impacting daily life, business operations, and investor confidence.
Chong argued that a resilient power system should not collapse due to a single point of failure, exposing critical shortcomings in generation capacity, backup energy sources, transmission infrastructure, and risk management. He recalled raising these very concerns during his parliamentary tenure, stressing that stable electricity is the bedrock of economic growth and improved living standards. Yet, years later, Sabahans continue to suffer recurring outages, a problem the government must address decisively rather than accept as the “new normal.”
The economic toll, he warned, is immense and growing, with factory shutdowns, spoiled goods, disrupted healthcare, and hindered education accumulating into staggering, unquantifiable losses. He insisted that Sabah Electricity must be held accountable and provide fair compensation to affected consumers for the damages incurred.
To break the cycle, Chong urged both the Federal and Sabah State Governments to strengthen cooperation and fast-track a comprehensive, long-term electricity masterplan. He called for significant resource allocation and funding to overhaul Sabah’s energy infrastructure, ensuring it can support the state’s future industrial expansion. He emphasized that Sabah’s vast natural resources and strategic position are being squandered by an inadequate power grid.
Ultimately, Chong asserted that the people are tired of excuses and demand concrete, sustainable solutions. The current crisis must serve as a critical wake-up call, prompting a full review and reform of the state’s electricity system to prevent future failures and finally deliver the stable, reliable power that Sabah needs to secure its competitiveness and the well-being of its people. – James Leong
Chong urged both the Federal and Sabah State Governments to strengthen cooperation and fast-track a comprehensive, long-term electricity masterplan.
