PAPAR: The Federal Government has been urged to increase Sabah’s annual electricity subsidy this year and extend the financial assistance beyond its scheduled end in 2030 to mitigate rising global fuel costs and resolve long-standing power stability issues.
Papar Member of Parliament Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said state agencies have formally submitted an appeal for additional subsidies running into hundreds of millions of ringgit following escalating fuel expenses driven by geopolitical tensions in West Asia.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Benoni 33/11kV Main Distribution Substation (PPU) here on Thursday, Armizan explained that Federal support remains vital as the State only regained regulatory authority over electricity in 2024 after four decades of federal control.
He highlighted that Sabah’s zero-coal power generation policy and its preservation of 63 per cent forest cover as a vital carbon buffer further justify continued Federal support while the region stabilises its generation, transmission, and distribution networks.
On local infrastructure, Armizan noted that the newly commissioned Benoni substation provides critical N-1 backup supply to the Papar PMU and Kimanis PPU while complementing 16 other electrical substations built across the constituency to resolve voltage drops and support regional commercial growth.
