Letter
By Saves DK

SESB’s irregular blackouts in Sandakan is appalling and causing a lot of disruptions to our daily lives.

If SESB really ‘CARE’ about Sandakan folks and are considerate, they would have tried to minimize the disruptions by at least:

1. publish accurate advanced notice of blackout times and areas in the local newspapers, as they used to do before they were pushing for the proposed coal power plant;

2. STICK TO their advanced notice (if published);

3. have NO blackout in business areas during day time/business hours, and NO blackout in residential areas during evening and night;

4. have a fair blackout schedule for the WHOLE of Sabah, not let it happen to only Sandakan/Tawau/East Coast.

Many have observed that for the first 2 weeks of August, there was NO blackout in many areas in Kota Kinabalu/West Coast at all, but by contrast, there were DAILY blackouts almost everywhere in the East Coast. WHY is that so?! (If the malfunctioning power plant is located in the West Coast, this would be even more puzzling.)

Is it because:

1. SESB wants to PUNISH the East Coast for rejecting their coal power plant by making them suffer?

2. SESB dares not offend all the Ministers, YBs and VIPs who are living comfortably in the West Coast instead of the East Coast?

SESB should account themselves and plan properly, instead of trying to once again push for coal (see Conditions of SESB’s Sandakan Power plants, Posted on – 30/07/2009).

Instead of recognising that Sabah’s power shortage will be greatly helped by the full completion of IPP Powertron (190 MW), SPR Energy plant (100MW) in 2012-2013, and the Kimanis Power ( 300MW ) in 2013, SESB have once again tried to direct our attention to the coal power plant, and once again used the idea of ‘transmission reliability’ as an support – even though:

1. the present East Coast power woes has absolutely nothing to do with ‘transmission unreliability’, and

2. the argument about ‘transmission reliability’ has been shown to be nothing more than a bogus excuse in support of the coal power plant.

(see “Bakun Supply Can If There’s a Will” by Daily Express on Sunday, 26 July 2009, page 19)

Given that Tenaga Nasional Berhad is directly or indirectly controlled by the Federal Government (as at 2008, via Khazanah Nasional Berhad 37.80%, Employees Provident Fund Board 13.66%, etc), and SESB is 80% owned by TNB and 20% owned by the Sabah Government, we wonder whether such unfair, disruptive and irregular blackouts are the policies and intention of the Barisan Nasional Federal and State Governments?

If not, then it’s time for both Governments to put a stop to this unfairness and madness of SESB!! After all, the people of Sandakan have given overwhelming support to the Barisan Nasional over the years. The people would only reach one — and only one — conclusion on the failure of either Government to control SESB’s madness:

That SESB’s irresponsible blackouts are condoned or endorsed by these Governments and that they endorse SESB’s push for a coal power plant in the East Coast of Sabah.

If so, rest assured that the people shall reply appropriately comes the next General Elections.

We call upon the Federal and State Governments to actively, seriously and earnestly seek the electricity supply from Bakun Dam, Sarawak, to satisfy the energy needs of Sabah. If the electricity can be exported all the way across mountains, forests and ocean to Johor, Indonesia or Brunei, why can’t it be done for Sabah? With the power from Bakun, we would not need any dirty coal power plant in Sabah.

(again, see “Bakun Supply Can If There’s a Will” by Daily Express on Sunday, 26 July 2009, page 19)

We also call upon both Governments to establish an Oversight Board comprising of elected representatives and NGO representatives in equal proportion who shall have overriding supervisory power at all times to oversee, monitor and penalise SESB for their incompetence, negligence, inactions and deliberate actions alike which do not fully serve the interests of the people of Sabah.

This is because the provision of adequate electricity and the public security in this regard are too important to be left in the hands of some selfish, stubborn and inconsiderate profit-maximizing private entities.

The People of Sandakan

cc:
Managing Director
SABAH ELECTRICITY SDN. BHD.
Wisma SESB,
Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman,
88673 Kota Kinabalu