KOTA KINABALU, May 24 — A Sabah assemblyman today called on utility companies to schedule their electricity and water rationing in high-income areas.

Kuamut assemblyman Datuk Masiung Banah said that ongoing rationing exercises by Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) should be targeted at the rich, who can afford such inconveniences and damages

"Choose areas of the rich, senior government officials with big salaries, or even the elected representatives. They can afford to repair any damages caused by power trips and surges.

"Don’t select housing areas, and places where people are struggling. In the event their refrigerators, televisions, fans get damaged, those with the means can afford it. The poor have to spend a whole year’s school fees, which they have been scrimping for, just to fix them,” he said.

The state and in particular, the state capital has been experiencing power outages with more frequency lately as the state cannot keep up with the increased demand due to the hot spell. SESB announced that power rationing would be ongoing till July 4 to prevent sudden blackouts.

Masiung, who said that he was in support of the rationing, said that Sabahans, especially in rural areas like his constituency of Kuamut have been experiencing blackouts for decades and it was "good” that it was hitting the state capital lately.

"I say this because now city dwellers, the rich, politicians, civil officers and big people in the cities, especially rich people, politicians, government officers, towkays, can experience the darkness and water shortages just like us in Kuamut in the last few decades.

"At least we can go through this struggle together," he said during his debate of Yang diPertua Negeri's policy speech at the State Assembly sitting here today.

Masiung also questioned the performance of the Public Works Ministry for their inability to reduce power issues despite their allocations getting higher every year.

"How is it that despite the ministries getting more and more funding every year, the problems still remain? Obviously, the officers in SESB and the Water Department is aware of the problem,” he said.

He said it was appalling that the water department’s losses have increased to RM320 million recently, compared to RM200 million five years ago.

"How have the problems gotten worse, how can this happen?” he asked.

Masiung also called out politicians and non-governmental organisations who protested the construction of a controversial dam in Penampang and later, Paper that would be a power source.

He said that some of the water and electricity power issues now were due to the delays such as that. - malaymail