Frequent blackouts cost malls up to RM1 million

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Ling (left) and Tang at the news conference.

KUCHING: Major shopping malls here recorded an estimated loss of potential sales up to RM1 million during the frequent power outages between 2012 and early this year.

Malaysia Association for Shopping and Highrise Management (PPK) Sarawak representative Ronald Ling called on Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) to step up its efforts to ensure consistent and stable supply of electricity to all in the state.

“Our request to SEB is to ensure that electricity is sufficient to all consumers at all times. If a chance of or possibility of blackout may occur, a notice be sent out to all residents and businesses via public announcement.

“We understand the challenges faced by SEB in serving an area as vast as Sarawak, but we rely on constant and reliable electricity so that we are able to provide our facilities and services to the public and generate income for tenants, government and thousand of workers in our shopping centres,” he told a press conference yesterday.

The news conference was jointly called by PPK members in Sarawak, Kuching City Centre Consultative Committee, India Street Pedestrian Mall Committee, the Kuching City Centre Merchants Association and Plaza Merdeka.

Ling, who is tHe Spring Shopping Mall advertising and promotion manager, said the mall registered an estimated loss of potential sales of RM230,000 last year.

If a power outage persists over two hours, he said the mall would be forced into a lockdown for safety and security purposes.

On June 27 last year, a massive power outage struck the entire state for at least two hours.

“We have two power generator sets to provide a three-hour temporary lighting in the event of power failure. Should the power failure lasts more than two hours, our policy is to shutdown the mall as it is not safe for shoppers.

“Most tenants do not take sales during blackouts because everything is computerised and CCTVs are down as well. They just stop operations.”

Ling said the mall wrote to SEB in 2012 regarding power outages, adding the utility corporation replied with an explanation and pledged to do its best to reduce power failure.

Meanwhile, Plaza Merdeka general manager Alan Tang said power trips occurred on a frequent basis at Plaza Merdeka particularly during weekends last year.

“We find this level of breakdown to be detrimental to business growth in the state as well as creating an undesirable impression of our utility services.”

He said PPK members had been hit by the outages, which would occur close to or during festive days or weekends when shopper traffic is high.

The outage between minutes and hours would result in a loss of revenue from both parking for the centre and sales for merchants, he added.

Tang said the shopping centre was more concerned about the security and safety of shoppers even though its power generators could offer backup.

“Escalators and elevators cease operation the moment power failure occurs. We are concerned about elderly shoppers who may not be as alert as others. What’s more, power outages have caused inconvenience to our tenants,” he said.

PPK has 300 shopping centre members throughout Malaysia.

In Kuching, its members include Plaza Merdeka, Tun Jugah, Green Heights Mall, tHe Spring Shoping Mall, Hills Shopping Mall, The Summer Shopping Mall, CityOne and Eastern Mall, which have more than 1,000 retailers and tenants.