Power cut off to Sabah's largest mall due to unpaid RM9.3mil electric bill

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's largest mall - 1Borneo Hypermall - had its power supply partly cut off because it failed to pay up its RM9.3mil electricity bill.

Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) on Wednesday (June 27) disconnected the power supply to the mall's air-conditioning system but left the lights on.

According to an SESB source, the power was cut off early Wednesday morning before the mall opened for operations.

The source said they, however, left the lights on for the sake of the shop tenants and employees.

The source said the air-conditioning system will only be reconnected if the 1Borneo Hypermall management settles a minimum fee of less than RM1mil, which had been agreed upon previously.

Meanwhile, it was reported in a news portal that the 1Borneo Hypermall management was upset at SESB for making the matter public.

The management was quoted as saying that publicity over the issue had tarnished the image of the mall and disrupted efforts to get the money needed to make the payments.

SESB had on Monday (June 25) said that it would cut off power supply to the mall if it failed to pay their outstanding RM9.3mil bill by Tuesday (June 26).

The bill had been outstanding for over a year and SESB, in a statement, said that they had given the mall's management ample time to settle it.