Kota Kinabalu: The Government needs to provide an explanation regarding the long standing issues in Sabah involving electricity supply, water supply and roads that are discussed daily by the people.
Sulabayan Assemblyman, Datuk Jaujan Sambakong, said people are fed up with problems such as damaged roads which not only affect the peoples’ movement but also economic activities.
He said based on a report, 710km of roads in Sabah are categorised as severely damaged with an additional of 126km in critical condition.
“Main roads connecting Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Tawau, Kudat and Sipitang are full of potholes and are difficult to travel on.
“This has impacted people’s mobility and the economic activities. So, I hope the government can explain this matter as people are talking about this daily,” he said.
Talking about the water supply, Jaujan said the 2024 National Audit report (second series) indicated that treated water supply coverage in Sabah is only at 81 per cent, which is one of the lowest in Malaysia.
He pointed out that Sepanggar with a population exceeding 300,000 frequently faces water disruptions due to old and deteriorating pipes as well as outdated water treatment plants that have not been upgraded for years.
“In my own constituency of Pulau Bum-Bum in Sulabayan, we used to have access to clean water.
“Today, however, there is a complete supply cut-off with no explanation from the government. I want an explanation as I did not see any action from the State Government on this issue,” he said.
Jaujan also raised alarm over Sabah’s critical electricity situation, noting that the state requires 1,166 megawatts (MW) of electricity, while its current generation capacity stands at just 1,226 MW, resulting only in a 5pc reserve margin.
He said, this is significantly lower than states like Sarawak, which generates up to 5,745MW.
“A low reserve margin is a key reason why power outages happen frequently. Sabah experienced 274 minutes of electricity outages in 2023, compared to only 41.61 minutes in Peninsular Malaysia.
“This situation negatively impacts not only the economy but also the tourism industry as well as the well-being of the people,” he added.
He also expressed his concern that without federal financial support, Sabah could face statewide power disruptions by 2025.
Jaujan also said although Sabah had regained control of Sabah Electricity Sdn. Bhd. (SESB) in January 2024, the government had yet to show any bold or strategic action to tackle this problem.
