KOTA KINABALU: Generators are flying off the shelves in Tawau, Sabah’s southern east coast district, as residents scramble to cope with days-long blackouts following the collapse of a transmission tower in Kolopis on Sept 13.
Households have been rushing to hardware shops for portable machines to keep their homes lit, charge phones, and run basic appliances. One shop in Tawau sold out in less than two days, with more residents now placing bookings to secure a unit.
For trader Sahran Mankati, the blackout has made daily life almost unbearable. His children were left in complete darkness, with no lights and no working fans to keep mosquitoes away. “We had no choice but to buy a generator just to survive at home,” he said.
Others shared similar frustrations. Abd Rahman Sawabsah said the constant outages were pushing families to the edge. The power, he said, would only return for a few hours before cutting out again, making it impossible to charge phones or even sleep comfortably.
“Without electricity, we’re forced to light candles just to use the bathroom,” he said.
The rush has also been fuelled by worries over food spoilage. Patrick Chang, who managed to get a generator for his household, said many were snapping them up to save perishable goods.
“Most of the town is in the dark and everyone is buying them. The shop I went to is already out of stock because people snapped them up so quickly,” he said.
Retailers say demand is unlike anything they have seen before. Shop owner Mandy Chin of Win Hin Machinery Tawau Sdn Bhd said sales had skyrocketed compared with usual days.
“On normal days we would sell one or two units, but in just a day and a half we sold about 120 generators. The 3,000-watt models are the most popular – they can power lights, fans and even a small air conditioner. Stocks are gone, but people are still booking and paying in advance,” she said.
The disruption dragged on for five days, with some districts experiencing blackouts lasting up to 20 hours a day. Large parts of the east coast – including Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Tawau, Semporna and Kinabatangan – were left in darkness, forcing residents to find costly ways to adapt.
Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) said power supply was restored across the east coast last night, although many residents had already spent hundreds of ringgit on generators to cope with the outage.
