Measat backs Sabah clean energy

Daily Express

29-07-2025

Published on: Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Published on: Tue, Jul 29, 2025
By: Sherell Jeffrey Text Size: As someone born and raised in Sabah, Kenneth who has worked in communications and internet technology for over 30 years felt proud to be part of the IEW 2025 event. Kota Kinabalu: Sabah is getting the support it needs towards reaching its 2030 clean energy target with help from Malaysia East Asia Satellite's (Measat) space-based internet technology which connects and monitors renewable energy projects across the State's hilly terrain. 'Measat's Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) technology has proven effective in reaching remote areas and helps clean energy development in three main ways,' Measat Satellite Systems Sdn Bhd Senior Sales Director Kenneth Yong told Daily Express at the International Energy Week (IEW) 2025 in Kuching. 'First, it provides internet connections to faraway places so that power grids can be managed smartly from a distance. 'Second, it helps coordinate renewable energy projects like solar panel farms and water power plants that are built in remote areas without regular power lines. 'Third, it supports emergency response teams and environmental monitoring systems that are important for keeping energy facilities safe from natural disasters and other problems. 'Our VSAT technology is well-suited for Sabah and Sarawak's challenging terrains, enabling the implementation and management of renewable energy projects in remote locations,' he said, adding that Sabah has huge opportunities in the clean energy sector with abundant renewable energy resources like hydro, solar and geothermal. 'Satellite technology today has gone way past just providing internet connections but also offering solutions that support clean energy, protect the environment and smart infrastructure. 'This means, satellites can now do much more than just provide internet but can help solve environmental and energy problems,' he said. Under the Sabah Energy Roadmap and Master Plan 2040, Sabah aims to get 35 per cent of its electricity from clean energy sources like solar and water power by 2030. Meanwhile, the summit, hosted by the Sarawak Energy and Environmental Sustainability Ministry and organised by Informa Markets, a world leading market-making company, brought together experts to discuss how technologies can transform the energy sector towards sustainability. Daily Express was among those invited for the event held at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching. As someone born and raised in Sabah, Kenneth who has worked in communications and internet technology for over 30 years felt proud to be part of the IEW 2025 event. 'As a Sabahan, it is personally important to take part in this important dialogue on clean energy and sustainability,' he said, talking about how Measat helps bring internet access to all parts of Borneo. 'Our CONNECTme NOW service is an important backbone, delivering connectivity via high-speed broadband in underserved areas outside the range of fibre internet and towers, connecting rural communities, businesses and energy project site. 'Measat provides fast internet to remote villages, small towns and work sites that cannot get regular internet connections because they are too far from the main internet cables and cell phone towers,' he said. Measat's internet from space and smart device connections have already helped big projects like the Tenom Pangi water power plant in Sabah and the Baleh water power project in Sarawak, allowing construction workers to stay connected to the internet even in faraway places where there are no phone lines or internet cables. Sabah has one of Asia's biggest protected forests, covering 3.5 million hectares, which Kenneth thinks is very important because trees absorb carbon dioxide and help fight climate change. 'I believe this will position Sabah as a leader in sustainable energy,' he said. Besides energy projects, Measat has shown its dedication to helping Sabah grow in an environmentally-friendly way through various community and nature protection programmes. 'Measat provided free broadband internet services to flood victims in Membakut, Beaufort and Keningau, facilitating relief and evacuation efforts,' Kenneth said. The Sabah Forestry Department, Sabah Parks, Sabah Wildlife Department and Danau Girang Field Centre use Measat's CONNECTme internet services to help with forest protection and animal research work in forests, wildlife areas and islands. 'This work helps protect natural resources that are important for creating clean energy in the long run,' he said. In healthcare, Measat has teamed up with Mudah Health Tech on the Sihat Xpress telehealth kiosk programme which aims to bring medical services to up to one million people who do not have access to doctors or hospitals through digital technology. He said Sabah is expected to make up a big portion of the people who will benefit from this programme because it has many rural villages and people there often have trouble getting to healthcare facilities. A test run of the programme in Kampung Togop Darat 1, Ranau showed that almost half of the villagers who got health check-ups had high blood pressure or were close to having high blood pressure, proving how important it is to make health screenings easily available in remote areas. 'We are working closely with the healthcare authorities to identify areas with the most need for telehealth services to ensure more Sabahans can benefit in the quickest timeframe by simultaneously installing CONNECTme and telehealth services in areas that do not have internet services,' he said. He also said satellite communications had evolved with the entry of global players like Starlink. 'As an authorised Starlink reseller, Measat offers multi-orbit satellite solutions combining geostationary orbit and low Earth orbit capabilities to support government-linked digital initiatives, enterprise needs and remote operations. 'Measat views Starlink as a complement to Malaysia's broader connectivity ecosystem and as an authorised Starlink reseller, we believe multiple technologies are needed to bridge the digital divide effectively,' he said. He said Measat also plans expand satellite technology use in Sabah through smart farming (using satellites to monitor crops and plantations), better energy management (using satellite data to predict electricity needs) and environmental monitoring (tracking illegal logging and measuring pollution for carbon credit programmes). * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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