Kota Kinabalu: Warisan Vice President Datuk Junz Wong urged the GRS State Government to introduce electricity relief for Sabah households, similar to the expanded subsidy protection provided to domestic consumers in Peninsular Malaysia.
The Tanjung Aru Assemblyman said the Federal Government’s decision to raise the protected electricity consumption threshold in the peninsula from 600kWh to 800kWh per month until Dec 31 would benefit more than eight million households, or almost 90 per cent of domestic consumers.
“If the Federal Government and TNB can respond to the people’s cost-of-living pressures by providing greater protection against higher electricity bills, then the Sabah Government should seriously consider what comparable relief it can provide to Sabahans,” Wong said.
He noted that Sabahans have been absorbing a 15 per cent electricity tariff increase since February, with the average base tariff rising from 34.52 sen to 39.70 sen per kWh.
Wong said the impact of the increase should not be viewed in isolation, as families are also facing higher costs for food, transport and other daily necessities.
He acknowledged that Sabah’s electricity system operates under a different structure from the peninsula, but said the principle of providing relief to households facing cost-of-living pressures should remain the same.
Wong urged the GRS Government to immediately engage the Energy Commission of Sabah (ECoS) and Sabah Electricity to review the impact of the February tariff increase and consider a temporary relief package for domestic consumers.
He suggested measures such as a wider protected consumption band, enhanced rebates or another Sabah-specific mechanism.
“It does not have to be identical to TNB’s model, but it should deliver meaningful relief to ordinary Sabah households,” he said.
Wong also called on the State Government to disclose the impact of the February tariff revision across different household consumption bands and clarify whether there is fiscal room to provide additional assistance.
“This is not about playing politics with electricity. It is about recognising the financial pressures facing ordinary families and responding accordingly,” he said.
“Electricity is a basic necessity, not a luxury. Sabahans deserve affordable and reliable electricity, and the Sabah Government should make every reasonable effort to see what can also be done for our people,” he added.
