Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau
KOTA KINABALU (Oct 11): Tuaran Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau called for energy needs in Sabah to no longer be sidelined and marginalised as has happened in the past.
For example, he said Sabah is in dire need of gas to generate electricity, but Petronas as the country’s main gas supplier is willing to spend RM2 billion just to ‘run away’ with gas from Sabah to Bintulu to meet the interests of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) industry.
“Wouldn’t it be easier to lay a gas pipe from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan? But the generation of energy in Sabah through gas is completely ignored, until today it has been proven that Sabah is facing problems in the generation of electricity supply.
“The reserve margin is too low causing electricity rationing and electricity supply interruptions to continue. The reserve margin of electricity generation in Sabah is also very low at below 12 per cent compared to 40 per cent in the Peninsula.
“Thus I would also like to ask, what is the outcome of the Transgas Pipe project from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan? Will this project continue? What has happened to the money that has already been released for the purpose of this project when the project has not even started?” he asked when delivering his debate speech on the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Bill 2023 at the Dewan Rakyat in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.
Tangau, who is also the chairman of Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) also questioned the construction status of the Southern Link Grid.
“When will this project be implemented?
“Where did the allocation to build the grid come from?” he further asked.
The former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation also revealed that Sabah’s failure to use coal to generate electricity in the past was not only due to the opposition of environmental activists.
According to him, it is also due to a dispute between stakeholders regarding ownership rights to the coal fire station in Lahad Datu.
“While SESB, which is the only utility company fully owned by the government, has already done a study on this power generation station and is actually more prepared to implement and own the generation in full.
“Finally, the proposal to build a coal-fired power plant with a capacity of 300 MW was cancelled.
“Sabah at that time missed the opportunity to use coal to generate electricity, while until today 40 per cent of energy generation in the peninsula and around 20 per cent in Sarawak is from coal,” explained the Honorary President of the United Kinabalu Progressive Organization (UPKO).
Tangau added the people of Sabah are proud to be the only region in Malaysia today that does not use coal to generate electricity.
“But Sabah is also the only province that still experiences rationing and the highest Average System Disruption Index (Saidi) or electricity supply disruption in Malaysia.
“Tuaran supports the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Bill 2023,” he concluded.