LABUAN: The Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA) will utilise part of its RM2.6 billion allocation under the 11th Malaysia Plan for the implementation of various mechanism to help reduce the System Annualized Interruption Duration Index (Saidi) in Sabah.
Its minister, Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili, said the fund directly allocated by the federal government is to ensure the generation capacity is sufficient.
“The fund is not from Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) or Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) but from the federal government for the various technical jobs to help stabilise the power supply in Sabah,” he said after officiating the community programme of the People Friendly Labuan Community and the Green Innovation Drives Unity – My Neighbour My Family at Kg Kilan here yesterday.
He said among the jobs that had started last year were to build more transformers, sub-stations, replacement of bare wires to aerial bundled cables.
“Sabah is still using about 70 per cent of bare wires that need to be changed in stages, so, with the replacement to these cables, it will be safer and help reduce the Saidi,” Dr Maximus said.
He said his ministry had set Saidi of 250 minutes per customer yearly this year as part of the SESB’s effort to improve the power supply in the state.
“When I first came to the ministry, the Saidi was almost 700 minutes per person annually and this was reduced gradually to 311 minutes last year, and we will improve further,” Dr Ongkili said.
He said the reduction of Saidi could be achieved with the close cooperation of villagers to help carry out ‘gotong-royong’ within the locality of power cables.
“We have set aside a small allocation for the gotong-royong to help cut the trees that touch and pose a danger to power cables in the villages, we cannot wait until the blackout occurs then only we cut the trees, the SESB and the regulator like us cannot reduce the Saidi alone but must be done with the people’s cooperation,” he said.
He said the government through his ministry would ensure sufficient power supply to the people and industries. – Bernama