POWER TO THE PEOPLE

PROUD.... Abdul Razak Salim, SESB Managing Director, Joseph Pairin Kitingan, Sabah Deputy Chief Minister, Leo Moggie, Chairman of Tenaga Nasional Berhad, and Ahmad Fuad Kassim, SESB Senior General Manager of Asset Management.

By : REBECCA CHONG

SHORTAGE of space has not stopped the Sabah Electricity Sendirian Berhad, the state’s power supplier, from bringing 16 megawatts of electricity to its 3,500 customers in Alam Mesra, a booming suburb, 7km (4 miles) from Kota Kinabalu city centre. About 15,000 people live in houses or work in shops and offices there.

The result is Malaysia’s first 28.5m-ringgit ($9m) outdoor power substation which received the blessing of Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan who is also the infrastructure development minister.

An indoor one would be cheaper by 3.6m ringgit such as the one with a similar power generating capacity in Minintod in Penampang, according to Abdul Razak Salim, SESB managing director. But SESB didn’t have enough land for it.

Known as outdoor compact air insulated switchgear (CAIS), it was commissioned in 2009. It has reduced the load on the substation at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah, just a stone's throw away. And it should be able to supply stable power to Alam Mesra.

Pairin who visited it on July 11 said it should also be able to bring electricity to people in neighbouring Sepanggar and Kingfisher.

“This shows that the government has taken steps to improve the electricity supply in Sabah,” he said. (Insight Sabah)