Latest news with #SESB
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Man electrocuted while plucking mangoes with metal rod
PAPAR: A 42-year-old man died when he was electrocuted after climbing a tree to pluck mangoes in Kampung Bambangan here on Sunday (June 8). Papar Fire and Rescue Station Chief Rozlan Osman said that following an emergency call via MERS999 at about 3:01pm, he dispatched a brigade of eight firefighters to the scene within seven minutes. "The victim is believed to have climbed the tree and used an iron rod to poke at the mangoes, before the rod came into contact with a nearby electric cable, causing the man to be electrocuted and rendered unconscious on the tree. "The firemen then proceeded to lower the victim using a ladder and rescue rope after the electricity supply was cut off by Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB)," he said when contacted Sunday. The victim was confirmed dead at the scene by a medical officer before being handed over to police for further action. The rescue operation concluded at 4:29pm. - Bernama
Borneo Post
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Bersatu distorted facts over Banggi solar project - MP
Suhaimi KOTA KINABALU (May 27): Libaran Member of Parliament Datuk Suhaimi Nasir has slammed Sabah Bersatu for politicising the hybrid solar energy project on Banggi Island, accusing the party of distorting facts to gain 'cheap political mileage.' In response to recent claims by Bersatu Sabah Women chief Rahimah Majid who demanded clarification from Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on the project, Suhaimi said her accusations were baseless, misleading and ignored the actual circumstances surrounding the project. 'Her allegations are not grounded in facts and are sensational in tone. They not only confuse the public but also expose Bersatu's lack of understanding regarding the technical details of the project,' Suhaimi said in a statement on Tuesday. Suhaimi clarified that the Rural Electrification Supply Project (BELB) for a hybrid solar system on Banggi Island had in fact been fully completed in 2015, long before Zahid assumed leadership of the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW). 'The project was handed over to Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) for operation and maintenance. Any technical problems after the handover fall under SESB's responsibility — not KKDW's,' he stressed. He also noted that the villages named by Rahimah, Kampung Selamat, Pulau Tigabu and Pulau Balambangan, fall under a separate ongoing project: the Hybrid Solar System for Remote Islands of Sabah, which is currently 85% completed, with a delay of 349 days or 15 percent behind schedule. 'The KKDW Technical Division is in the process of terminating the contractor due to failure to meet both deadlines and standards. A follow-up site inspection is scheduled for June 16, 2025. This shows the government is taking clear and transparent action,' he said. Suhaimi also took issue with Rahimah's claim that the project was launched with great fanfare but later abandoned. 'That's a deliberate attempt to create a false narrative to distract from the real issue — the inefficiencies of the current state administration under GRS, which once included Bersatu,' he said. He further pointed out that the very projects now being criticised were initiated during Bersatu's own time in government. 'It is ironic. They inherited and implemented these projects, but now they want to blame others. This is not only irresponsible, but a complete embarrassment in terms of political integrity,' he added. Calling on Bersatu Sabah to stop 'barking from the sidelines,' Suhaimi urged the party to engage constructively and 'step into the arena to solve actual problems.' 'Sabahans are smart enough to see through political gimmicks. They know who delivers and who disappears when responsibility needs to be carried,' he said. 'Politics should be based on facts, not slander.' The Banggi Island solar project has recently drawn public scrutiny following concerns about delays and implementation setbacks in several remote villages. Suhaimi's remarks come as the federal government continues to monitor and enforce project accountability across rural Sabah.
The Star
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Banggi solar project completed in 2015, says Sabah Umno leader
KOTA KINABALU: A Sabah Umno leader has refuted claims by Bersatu regarding stalled solar projects in Pulau Banggi, labelling them misleading and politically motivated. Sabah Umno information chief Datuk Suhaimi Nasir said the accusation by Sabah Bersatu women's chief Rahimah Majid showed a lack of understanding about the project's implementation. "This project was fully completed in 2015, long before Zahid (Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) led the Rural and Regional Development Ministry,' Suhaimi said in a statement. Concerns were raised last Saturday (May 24) over stalled hybrid solar projects in Pulau Banggi, which remained incomplete years after their launch. Rahimah urged the Federal Government to explain the delay, stating that the failure has dashed residents' hopes of reliable electricity. Accessible by a ferry ride of over one hour from Kudat, the island hosts many coastal villages facing challenges accessing electricity and clean water. Suhaimi, also the Libaran MP, said the Rural Electricity Supply (BELB) Hybrid Solar Project was handed over to Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) for operation and maintenance. He added that any technical issues since then fall under SESB's jurisdiction and said that the the villages mentioned by Rahimah—Kampung Selamat, Pulau Tigabu and Pulau Balambangan — are part of a separate initiative. This project, Hybrid Solar System Project for Remote Islands in Sabah, is 85% complete, with a 15% delay from the original timeline. "The ministry's technical division is terminating the contractor for failing to meet deadlines and standards," he said, noting a site visit is scheduled for June 16. "This shows the government is taking firm and transparent action on the delay." He said Rahimah's claim that the project was launched "in grand fashion" but is now abandoned was a baseless attempt to twist public perception. "What's ironic is this was a legacy project from their own time in government. Now they point fingers at others," he said. Suhaimi said Bersatu Sabah should stop acting like "a frustrated commentator barking from the sidelines" and focus on real solutions. "Sabahans are wise enough to judge who walks the talk and who only makes promises when in power, then disappears when it's time to deliver," he added.
Borneo Post
24-05-2025
- Climate
- Borneo Post
Survivors recall harrowing Tenom Pangi tragedy
The Tenom Pangi hydroelectric plant tragedy on October 30, 2022. – Photo courtesy from Sabah Electricity. TENOM (May 24): It was an ordinary day for auxiliary policeman Ailey Jamal when he began his evening shift at the Tenom Pangi hydroelectric plant on October 30, 2022. Despite the heavy rain, Ailey, 59, did not give much thought to the weather as he reported for duty just before 4 p.m. Sheltered inside the police guard house with his colleague Yunus, Ailey remembers watching the Padas River's rapid flow from the window. The river powers the Tenom Pangi hydroelectric station. Behind them stood a hill. A before and after photos of the Tenom Pangi hydroelectric plant tragedy on October 30, 2022. – Photo courtesy from Sabah Electricity. 'It was just a standard evening shift. We didn't think much of the thunderstorm,?said Ailey, who has served as an auxiliary policeman for 36 years with Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) – now renamed Sabah Electricity. At around 7.30 p.m., a deafening roar erupted from the hill. Curious and alarmed, the two stepped out to investigate. What followed was a nightmare ?a massive landslide tore down the hillside, trapping Ailey and Yunus inside the guard house as soil, rocks and trees crashed down. Restoration work being carried out at the water intake station of the Tenom Pangi hydroelectric plant. 'Both the front and back doors were blocked. There was a small gap at the back, about a meter wide. We tried crawling out, but the soil kept collapsing into it,?said Ailey. Just then, they saw a beam of light cutting through the dark. It came from Petrus A. Joanis, 55, a plant operator at the water intake station 100 meters away. Earlier, Petrus had noticed the river's rising level but didn't anticipate a disaster. Thhe Tenom Pangi hydroelectric plant engines back in full operation. 'There was a blackout, followed by a thundering sound from the hill. We managed to restore power after several attempts and raised the division gate to control water flow,?Petrus recalled. When he couldn't contact the guard house, a gut feeling prompted him to check. 'I saw the guard house buried under soil and debris, with only the roof visible. I started to head back when I heard Yunus yelling my name,?Petrus said. Realizing they were trapped, Petrus extended his hand through the narrow gap and pulled both men to safety. From left: Ailey, Petrus, Dasiri and Raffi looking through the Sabah Electricity book title 'Kisah SESB / The SESB Story', following the Re-Operation Ceremony and 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Tenom Pangi Hydroelectric Power Station on May 14, 2025. 'We ran immediately, fearing a second landslide,?he said. The trio returned to the water intake station, where they waited out the night with another colleague. Meanwhile, four kilometers deeper into the station, six other SESB staff and auxiliary police were also trapped. Mohd Raffi Yahya, 40, the shift leader at Tenom Pangi, received a warning call from Petrus about rising water levels around 7 p.m. 'I reduced the load from 66MW to 36MW and went outside to check the conditions,?said Raffi, a 16-year veteran of the plant. Minutes later, water poured into the lower levels of the power plant, flooding areas housing critical transformers and turbines. Believing a hilltop water tank had burst or overflowed, Raffi requested a total plant shutdown at 7.36 p.m. ?just as all communications went down. Using a PABX line, Raffi contacted the Load Dispatch Centre and requested a rescue. He then led his team through waist-deep floodwaters to a guard post on higher ground, a journey that took nearly an hour. As rescuers could not reach them due to the blocked access road, the six trapped workers and officers decided to walk out the next morning ?a five-hour trek to safety. Miraculously, all 10 workers, including four auxiliary police, escaped without injuries. Restoration and Recognition Following the disaster, SESB immediately launched restoration efforts. Among the key figures involved was Assistant Mechanical Engineer Jimi Sikul @ Dasiri, 60, who boasts 39 years of service. Originally from Keningau, Dasiri joined SESB (then Lembaga Letrik Sabah) in 1986 and was stationed at Tenom Pangi for many years. He was set to retire in 2024 but extended his contract by six months to oversee the plant's re-operation. 'My employer asked me to stay until everything was up and running. After June, I'll finally retire and spend time with my family,?said the father of eight, smiling proudly after receiving SESB's Excellent Service Award. A New Beginning On May 14, 2025, the Tenom Pangi Hydroelectric Power Station officially returned to full operation. The re-operation ceremony coincided with the plant's 40th anniversary and was officiated by Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Works, Datuk Shahelmey Yahya. Constructed in 1978 and completed in 1984, the Tenom Pangi station has long been vital in supplying energy to Tenom and its surrounding areas, playing a key role in Sabah's development.
Borneo Post
19-05-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
ECoS asked to take action on genset fee issue
Junz Wong KOTA KINABALU (May 19): Warisan vice president Datuk Junz Wong has fired back at the Energy Commission of Sabah (ECoS), calling on the regulatory body to take immediate action against contractors who have been charging exorbitant fees related to genset licensing fees that have gone viral and stirred widespread public anger. In response to ECoS CEO Datuk Ir Abdul Nasser Abdul Wahid's recent statement denying that the commission imposed high charges, Wong questioned why ECoS remained silent while such quotations, reaching up to RM25,000 for two gensets, were being charged by so called 'third party' or 'runners'? 'If ECoS claims these are not their charges, then why the delay in taking action against the 'runner' contractors or consultants involved? Why allow such practices to go unchecked and let Sabahans continue to suffer confusion and financial burden?' he asked. Wong demanded clarity on whether these contractors were appointed or approved by ECoS. 'If they are acting under your approval, then ECoS must bear responsibility. If not, then come out clearly and act against them for misleading the public and overcharging Sabahans,' he said. Wong also questioned the timing of ECoS's enforcement of the license fees, noting that genset owners had not been charged such fees for years under federal control. 'Now that energy regulation has been handed back to Sabah, a move fought for and delivered by Warisan under MA63, instead of celebrating this with reforms and better services, Sabahans are being penalized with new license charges. Why now? Why burden the very people who have been forced to rely on gensets due to SESB's failure to provide stable electricity?' he said. Wong pointed out that the core issue lies in the state's unstable and insufficient power supply, which has driven many businesses to purchase gensets to survive. 'Sabahan restaurant owners, and manufacturers didn't buy gensets for no reason, they bought them out of desperation, just to keep their businesses running through frequent blackouts.' 'To now impose license fees on these gensets without fixing the root cause, is totally ridiculous. If SESB and ECoS cannot provide stable and affordable electricity, then do not punish the people for trying to survive.' He urged ECoS to not only act against contractors but also come clean about the rationale for enforcing the standard genset fees now, after years of non-collection. 'Don't just explain what the fee structure is, explain why it's suddenly being enforced, and why Sabahans were not informed earlier.' Wong concluded by urging the GRS-PH state government to stop hiding behind technicalities and start prioritizing the people. 'Sabahans deserve better, help them meet their needs, ease their suffering, not add to their burdens.'
