SESB loses RM60mil annually to rampant electricity theft in Sabah slums

 

SESB CEO Yaakob Jaafar said the independent power distributor project would see a concessionaire appointed to supply electricity in the affected areas, with the non-subsidised tariff set at 47 sen.

PETALING JAYA: 

Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) is losing approximately RM60 million annually due to widespread electricity theft in slum areas, says its chief executive officer Yaakob Jaafar.

He said the theft was very significant and that to curb it, SESB is rolling out a special independent power distributor (IPD) project, which includes the installation of pre-paid meters to supply electricity in these areas.

There are many squatter colonies where electricity theft has been identified, for example in Kampung Hidayat Tawau. It is very obvious, where as soon as we enter the area we can find a nest of wires crisscrossing here and there,

 he was quoted as saying in a Bernama report.

Yaakob said the prepaid meter had already been implemented in Kampung Flores, Sandakan, and is set to be introduced in other areas in Sabah, including Kampung Puyut, Lahad Datu, and settlements around Kota Kinabalu where electricity theft is common.

He said the IPD concept, approved by the state government, would see SESB appointing a concessionaire to supply electricity in the affected areas, with the non-subsidised tariff set at 47 sen.

We do not want members of the public to get electrocuted due to faulty cables, looking at the wiring that is stretched out haphazardly and when stepped on, it can be deadly,

 he added.

Regarding the 17-hour power outage in Kampung Pasir Putih yesterday, he said the issue arose from damage to a transformer during scheduled maintenance work to an SESB cable.

However, when we were almost finished, and were into the re-switching stage when one of the substations suddenly tripped,

 he said, adding that repairs were ongoing and mobile generators were being used to keep critical systems running.

Yaakob said disgruntled consumers who have problems with electrical equipment damage could lodge a complaint at the SESB Tawau office and provide documents, such as a police report and photo evidence of the damage. - FMT