Lighting up a community: Ong and a volunteer checking the voltage of a micro-hydro power system. — KAMARUL ARIFFIN/The Star
RANAU: In a hill village outside Ranau, the first flicker from a micro-hydro switch turned darkness into possibility and a community into its own power station.
It didn’t start with a grand plan. In 2011, a plea came from Sarawak – could someone help a village with no electricity?
The request reached Penang-born farmer-activist Ong Boon Keong, who knew micro-hydro from his farming days in Balik Pulau where “up to about 2005, there was no electricity provided by the government” and neighbours powered homes with creek-driven turbines.
By 2014, Ong and a small team of volunteers had installed three systems in Ulu Bengoh.
“There were requests for hydro all over Sarawak and more importantly, even more people were willing to donate,” he recalled.
That sparked Lightup Borneo, the non-governmental organisation (NGO) he founded to bring electricity to off-grid communities in Sabah, Sarawak and several Orang Asli villages in Peninsular Malaysia.
Volunteer Madeline Jison, from Tongod, joined Lightup after discovering the group on Facebook. She helped install solar panels for 100 homes in Kampung Paus and saw how light transformed daily life. -KAMARUL ARIFFIN/TheStar
The model is simple – villagers identify a reliable stream, Lightup Borneo measures the flow, funds are raised and volunteers install a Pelton wheel turbine to generate power.
“To build a hydro is not that hard but to come here is very difficult,” Ong said, noting that reaching places like Pensiangan and Long Pasia can take hours by road and boat.
He said every project begins with humility – asking the community what they truly need and working with them, not for them.
“The villagers know their rivers better than anyone.
“We just bring the technical know-how and fundraising. They bring the spirit, the effort and the ownership,” he said.
Before any construction begins, Ong and his team walk with villagers to inspect possible river sources, measuring height drops and flow rates with simple tools.
“It’s never a top-down decision.
“We make sure the villagers understand how it works because it’s theirs. We’re just the bridge.”
More than 1,000 volunteers have taken part over the decade.
“They have their own jobs and don’t make money from Lightup Borneo.
“For people from town, turning on the light is nothing. But for villagers, this is a very significant moment – the happiness is written on their faces,” he said.
Volunteers come from across Malaysia and even abroad – teachers, engineers, students and retirees – many returning again and again.
Some have joined more than 10 missions.
“They come back because they see the change with their own eyes. When you witness a village light up for the first time, you never forget that feeling.”
In Kg Mindahuon Lama, Ranau, village chief Lino Ikun remembers life before electricity – nights lit by kerosene lamps and damar resin.
“Back then, we relied on damar and kerosene just to get through the night.
“Now, our children can study and we can charge our phones to stay in touch with the outside world,” he said.
“When the lights first came on at the community hall, it felt unbelievable – many of us were moved to tears,” he added.
The villagers had helped haul pipes and install the system, gaining new skills in the process.
“Every house must send a representative.
Doing their part: Ong and a small team of volunteers had installed three micro-hydro power systems in Ulu Bengoh by 2014. (Right) Jison joined Lightup after discovering the group on Facebook. She helped install solar panels for 100 homes in Kampung Paus.
“If the hydro has any problem, they already have hands-on experience to fix it,” said Ong.
“We don’t want dependency. We want empowerment.
“When villagers can fix their own system, that’s real sustainability,” he added.
Ong recalled revisiting their first project in Bengoh a decade later and finding it still running strong, maintained entirely by locals.
“That’s the proudest moment for us.”
Sabahan ceramicist Hannah Bhatt raised RM38,000 through an exhibition and online auction in Kuala Lumpur – enough to power 20 homes in Mindahuon Lama.
“She and her husband came for one whole week to oversee the installation,” Ong said, calling it a model of transparent, eyes-on accountability.
Bhatt’s effort inspired other artists and individuals to step forward.
Over the years, musicians, hikers and even schoolchildren have raised funds for Lightup Borneo through charity sales and marathons.
“It’s amazing what happens when people realise they can make a real, measurable impact,” Ong said.
In Ranau’s Kampung Mantapok, reliable electricity has even powered eco-tourism.
Youths built homestays and began guiding hikers up Mount Mantapok.
“A lot of villagers who used to go out to work now can run this eco-tourism project,” Ong said.
Volunteer Madeline Jison from Tongod joined Lightup Borneo after discovering the group on Facebook.
She helped install solar panels for 100 homes in Kampung Paus and saw how light transformed daily life.
“Families can cook, study and socialise after dark without buying their own kits,” she said, adding that such projects are “an act of service that shows what Malaysians can do together”.
Ong hoped their model would one day be adopted and scaled up by state or federal agencies.
“We’re not competing with anyone.
“We just want to show that it can be done – efficiently, cheaply and with community ownership.”
Lightup Borneo’s funding comes mainly from public donations with some corporate social responsibility initiatives and university collaborations.
When funds align, projects can be completed within a month.
The NGO also helps private farms and lodges replace diesel gensets with hydro systems, using proceeds to cross-subsidise rural projects.
For Ong, micro-hydro isn’t just about power – it’s about dignity.
“Electricity means light, safety, education and communication. But most of all, it means hope.”
Putting lights in a village can result in instant gratitude for recipients.
“This motivates us to continue doing more,” Ong said.
He said his team was humbled to be singled out as a Star Golden Hearts Award (SGHA) winner this year.
“It is a testament to our unwavering belief that the power of community and compassion can make great impacts on people’s lives, especially the underprivileged,” he said.
What began as one man’s idea has grown into a chain of hands reaching across Borneo’s darkest corners, proving that when communities come together, even the smallest spark can illuminate a mountain.
For their noble efforts, Lightup Borneo is named as one of the 10 winners of the SGHA 2025.
SGHA is an annual award by The Star that honours everyday Malaysian unsung heroes.
For details, visit sgha.com.my.
