TONGOD: Sabah Electricity (SE) has been urged to deploy additional mobile generator sets to three secondary boarding schools here following major transformer breakdowns that have left hostels without power since last week.
Kuamut assemblyman Datuk Masiung Banah (pic) said the utility firm must urgently supply electricity to SMK Tongod, SMK Penangah, and SMK Entilibon, where boarding students have been forced to study by candlelight ahead of their upcoming examinations.
He said that despite the deployment of four mobile generator units with a 2,000kW capacity as temporary support, the power supply remains insufficient to prevent disruptions to educational operations across the three schools.
According to Masiung, information from the SE office in Telupid indicated that an 11/33kV transformer supplying the district suffered damage last week, prompting his appeal for extra generator sets while repairs are underway.
Meanwhile, Community Development Leader (PPM) Tokyo Hasim Omar said frequent outages over the past month have disrupted government administration, urging SE to replace the ageing, overcapacity transformers with units of higher capacity to meet the districts's growing demand.