Kota Kinabalu: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has called on the Federal Government to allocate immediate funding for the Southern Link project that connects the West Coast to the East Coast of Sabah.
Its Information Chief Nicholas Ban said without the Southern Link, the collapse of a single main line not only disrupt electricity supply within the State, but also impact businesses and economic activities.
He said this following the recent collapse of the main Electricity Transmission Tower (ERS) of Kolopis-Segaliud 275kV tower due to landslide at Kg Sarapung, Penampang which had caused subsequent widespread blackouts in the East Coast of Sabah which reflected Sabah’s vulnerability in energy distribution.
He said this also demonstrates that Sabah urgently needs an alternative transmission route.
“By developing the Southern Link, Sabah will have an alternative power transmission route that ensures electricity supply remains stable even in the event of system failures, landslides, or other unforeseen disasters.
“This is a critical infrastructure project that cannot be delayed any further if Sabah is to achieve sustainable growth and energy security,” Nicholas said here, recently.
He said the Southern Link is not just an infrastructure project, but a necessity for the State’s energy security, economic stability, and resilience against natural disasters such as landslides and floods.
“Sabah deserves the same level of priority and investment in infrastructure as other states in Malaysia.
“Therefore, we urge the Federal Government to treat this matter with urgency and ensure that Sabahans are not left behind when it comes to reliable and sustainable infrastructure,” Nicholas added.
In a related development, he extended his gratitude to Sabah Electricity (SE) Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Mohd Yaakob Jaafar, and his dedicated team for their swift action in restoring electricity supply after several areas were hit by outages due to heavy rain and landslides recently.
“Despite the challenging circumstances, they responded quickly and worked around the clock to ensure electricity supply was restored. Their dedication truly deserves recognition.
“I commended SE for immediately mobilising its technical teams, who worked tirelessly under difficult conditions to repair damaged lines and restore electricity to the community,” he said.
