Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Bersatu Wanita Chief Rahimah Majid has called for immediate intervention to resolve chronic power supply problems on Banggi Island, rejecting claims by Umno’s Datuk Suhaimi Nasir that her concerns are politically motivated.
The appeal comes after Sabah Electricity Chairman Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau publicly acknowledged serious power supply issues affecting thousands of residents on the remote island.
Rahimah pointed out that Banggi Island residents endured over a decade of unreliable electricity due to aging infrastructure, degraded solar panels, faulty batteries and obsolete systems.
Despite the island’s installed generation capacity of 2,600 kW, the current peak demand of over 900 kW is not being consistently met.
“Thousands of villagers in Pulau Banggi are still enduring inconsistent and inadequate electricity supply. This is a fundamental issue of infrastructure and survival,” Rahimah said in a statement Tuesday.
The power disruptions have caused repeated damage to household appliances including refrigerators, fans and rice cookers, placing additional financial burden on already disadvantaged families.
No compensation has been offered to affected residents despite service delivery failures.
Rahimah attributed the ongoing crisis to a systemic disconnect between government reporting and ground realities, warning of gross negligence and breach of public trust if the situation continues.
She proposed eight key measures for reform, including establishing a special task force on rural electrification, creating a dedicated maintenance fund and requiring Sabah Electricity to publish quarterly performance data on rural projects.
The proposals also call for upgrading beyond diesel systems to modern hybrid solutions combining solar, micro-hydro, and battery storage, while empowering local communities through training and micro-grants for basic maintenance.
Banggi Island has been targeted by Federal rural electrification initiatives under the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development since 2009.
However, residents continue experiencing chronic blackouts, particularly during night-time hours when electricity is most essential.
While Sabah Electricty has deployed additional diesel generators as temporary measures, Rahimah said these do not address core infrastructure problems requiring comprehensive system upgrades.
