KOTA KINABALU: Questions on an alleged power tariff hike approved by the Gabung Rakyat Sabah (GRS) state government are being raised, with Parti Warisan urging the state to come clean.
Warisan vice-president Datuk Junz Wong said he was told that a 15% power tariff increase, expected to take effect next month, was agreed to at the Cabinet meeting on Jan 21 and subsequently endorsed by the Energy Commission of Sabah (ECoS).
“Is this true? If so, Warisan strongly rejects this move and demands that the state government come clean and immediately explain the justification for imposing a power tariff hike on Sabahans,” he said in a statement on Friday (Jan 30).
He stressed that transparency and accountability were not optional, but core principles of good governance - especially when decisions carry serious and far-reaching consequences for households, businesses and the wider economy.
“Instead of fixing these basic and long-standing failures in electricity and water supply, the people are now being asked to pay more?” he asked, describing the move as grossly unjustified and unacceptable.
He cautioned that any increase in electricity tariffs would have a cascading effect, pushing up business costs and consumer prices, and further burdening ordinary Sabahans who are already struggling with the rising cost of living.
“Sabahans should not be forced to shoulder additional financial pressure when essential services remain unreliable,” he said.
