KOTA KINABALU: Only electrical appliances and equipment approved by the Energy Commission of Sabah (ECoS) or the Energy Commission (ST) Malaysia may be sold in Sabah.
ECoS issued this reminder for safety and energy efficiency reasons after several shops in Putatan district were found selling appliances and equipment without the required certifications such as ECoS-Sirim or ST-Sirim labels.
This was discovered during Ops Klik, a recent joint monitoring operation by ECoS and Sirim QAS International Sdn Bhd (Sabah branch).
Shops were found selling consumer appliances, including fans, kettles, ovens, light bulbs, extension sockets, wiring, cables and power plugs without the required safety labels or the ECoS Energy Efficiency Rating Label.
"Many sellers are unaware of public safety risks by selling consumer equipment without approval, as these can cause property damage and endanger lives,” said ECoS safety and monitoring director Muhammad Azuan Zainuddin, who led the operation.
He said some consumers preferred unlabelled appliances as they were cheaper.
"The safety labels are important to prove that a piece of electrical equipment has been inspected and tested according to standards and is safer to use compared than unlabelled equipment," he said here on Wednesday (Jan 22).
ECoS chief operating officer Ridwan Saham said Ops Klik is an important initiative to educate sellers in Sabah about their responsibilities.
“This is to ensure that equipment sold meets the requirements of the Electricity Supply Enactment (EBE) 2024 and the Electricity Supply Regulations (PPBE) 2024,” he added.
These regulations state that only approved and labelled consumer electrical equipment with the ECoS-Sirim and ST-Sirim labels and ECoS Energy Efficiency Rating Label can be sold to the public.
Failure to comply with Regulations 107 and 111(3) under PPBE 2024 can result in the electrical equipment being seized, disposed of, or removed under Regulations 110(2) and 113(2) of the same Regulations, Ridwan added.
He also stressed ECoS' commitment to continue enforcement operations and monitoring the sale of unapproved items to ensure that only safe appliances and equipment are sold to the public in Sabah.
