Kota Kinabalu: Sabah’s worsening electricity woes stem from past policy failures, particularly the cancellation of the Trans-Sabah Gas Pipeline (TSGP) project during the administration of Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, says Libaran MP Datuk Suhaimi Nasir.
He said the decision in 2018 not to defend the RM4.06 billion project had far-reaching consequences on energy security in the state.
“The 662km pipeline from Kimanis to Sandakan and Tawau was launched in 2016 by the Barisan Nasional government as a long-term measure to stabilise Sabah’s energy supply.
“But after the change of government, the project was cancelled even though RM3.5bil – or 88 per cent of the cost – had already been paid, despite only 13pc of the physical work being completed,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (Sept 17).
Suhaimi said that as chief minister then, Shafie had failed to fight for Sabah’s interests and instead welcomed the project’s cancellation on the grounds of federal financial constraints.
“If the project had continued, it would have been a key catalyst for stable electricity supply on Sabah’s east coast, including Kinabatangan.
“The impact of this weak leadership is what we are feeling today, made worse by the inefficiency of the current GRS government in resolving the issue,” he said.
As a result, Suhaimi added, Sabahans continue to face unstable electricity supply and recurring blackouts that could have been avoided if the TSGP had been completed.
“Shafie cannot absolve his moral and political responsibility by putting the blame solely on the present administration. The record clearly shows that the problem began with his failure to defend a strategic project initiated by BN since 2016.
“People in Sabah deserve to know the facts because only by understanding the root cause can we chart a more sustainable solution,” he said.
The TSGP was first launched in 2016 to secure energy supply for Sabah’s east coast, particularly Sandakan, Tawau and Kinabatangan. It was cancelled in 2018 and, more recently, the federal government in February 2025 confirmed there were no plans to revive the project after issuing a suspension notice last July.
That suspension, announced by the Finance Ministry on July 3, 2025, halted all services and operations and saw the project’s management replaced.
At the time, Energy Minister Yeo Bee Yin said no decision had been made on whether the project would be resumed or scrapped entirely, leaving its future in limbo.