Kota Kinabalu: Wisma SESB which houses the Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) headquarters in Karamunsing, Kota Kinabalu, will be redeveloped, said SESB Chairman Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau.
“Wisma SESB is an old building – over 40 years old,” he said after officiating the Tuaran-level SESB Bantuan Mesra Rakyat (BMR) Project at Kampung Panjut, here, Thursday.
“The building, just as the other buildings of the same age which used sea sand in construction, is in an unfit condition – even some of the slabs had fallen.
“We can’t even do rewiring. We have reached to a level where the building is declared unsafe,” he said.
He said the SESB Board of Directors had decided to move the office to another location. However, Madius did not elaborate on the new location of the utility firm’s office.
He said the new office would need to be ready before SESB staff could move in.
“During this challenging situation, most of the staff working in Wisma SESB are now working remotely. Even now, they are not comfortable working in the current office.
“I believe all SESB staff are looking forward to moving to a more comfortable space,” he said.
SESB Chief Executive Officer Mohd Yaakob Jaafar said the redevelopment of the firm’s new office on the current site is expected to be completed in five years.
Earlier, in a statement, SESB said it would relocate its headquarters from the iconic Wisma SESB.
Wisma SESB, standing in the middle of the city, has witnessed many events in the development of the power supply industry in Sabah and Labuan.
Built in 1976, its architecture reflected the technological progress of that era.
The 10-storey building housed the SESB office and used to be where teenagers around the city gathered on weekends in the late 1980s to skate.
The building also houses a penthouse on the 10th floor, once the office of state political figures and now the SESB Chairman’s office.
Wisma SESB is one of the old buildings built here, such as Wisma Muis, Wisma Dang Bandang, Wisma Merdeka, Post Office, Kuwasa building, Tun Fuad building and Federal Office.
Its hall had also witnessed numerous significant occasions, including wedding receptions.
“Various efforts have been made to deal with Wisma SESB’s ageing, including planning a more modern and conducive internal structuring to continue functioning as a centre of innovation in the electricity industry.
“Collaboration with local technology experts and innovative solutions such as better use of space is also part of the effort to preserve this building.
“However, comprehensive efforts in the structural conservation of this building regularly so that it can continue to benefit the people cannot be continued due to its increasing age.
“Aside from that, the lack of space to accommodate modern and quality facilities is also a constraint to efforts to renew or modernise it,” the statement said.
