SANDAKAN: The recent east coast power outage was not a mere natural disaster but the result of government failure in prevention and maintenance, says Sabah MCA.
Its treasurer and Karamunting state liaison coordinator Datuk Chin Kim Hiung said the state government had failed to act decisively despite repeated warnings about the fragility of Sabah’s basic infrastructure.
He said the state government and related agencies acted too slowly after the incident, with no immediate deployment of mobile generators, clear contingency plans or transparent recovery schedules.
“Thousands of families were left in the dark without water, while communication disruptions affected education, businesses and healthcare services. Emergency situations can worsen when phone lines are down.
“People do not need empty slogans, but guarantees of their basic needs because electricity, water and Internet are the lifelines of modern society,” he said in a statement on Wednesday (Sept 17).
A Sept 13 landslide left more than 230,000 households without electricity in Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Kunak, Semporna and Beluran, which in turn disrupted water treatment plants and cut off Internet services across the east coast.
Chin warned that such failures would continue to erode public confidence in the government if left unresolved.
At the same time, he conveyed appreciation to Sabah Electricity and the Sabah Water Department for their efforts to restore services despite difficult weather and terrain.
He also extended condolences to the family of a Sabah Electricity staff member who died in an accident while carrying out repair work, and reminded all technical teams to prioritise safety while on duty.
“Only through transparent communication and responsible action can public confidence be restored. If the government and ruling parties continue to fail, they will only drive Sabahans to lose even more trust,” he said.
