4 days ago
New Papar sub-station, meters for Inanam: SE
Published on: Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Published on: Wed, Jun 25, 2025
By: Sidney Skinner Text Size: A new substation is coming up along this section of the access road to Kg Kawakahan. SABAH Electricity (SE) has begun building a new substation near a Papar village and is in the midst of processing applications for meters at some low-cost flats in Inanam. This action was prompted by feedback about the power irregularities in Kg Kawakahan, as well as the delay which some occupants of the 'Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR, People's Housing Project)' Kionsom had experienced in having a supply extended to their units. A Papar consumer was under the impression that her village might not be receiving enough electricity as her household appliances had not been operating at their maximum capacity for some time. An Inanam senior citizen, on the other hand, was dismayed to find that there was still no electricity in her flat, more than 10 days after she had applied for a supply. Both individuals provided Hotline with the pertinent details regarding their grievances, which were forwarded to the company. A SE spokesman said about 20 per cent of the substation had been completed so far, since construction got underway on May 19.
Advertisement 'Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we tentatively hope to finish the remaining 80 per cent of the work by October 16,' he said. 'The nominal level of the voltage to our customers in Kg Kawakahan should increase to around 230volts, once the substation becomes operational.' He explained that a voltage drop was to blame for the electricity woes in this part of the district. 'The existing substation is located about 2.5 kilometres away from the village. It generates between 210V and 215V during the peak period of electricity usage He said the problems in Kg Kawakahan stemmed from the increasing development taking place around Papar. The spokesman said SE had been aware about the irregularities in the village since last year. 'We refurbished the existing transformer and, for a time, the situation seemed to stabilise. 'Later, we carried out a load-shedding exercise and even tried having new overhead lines put in place to service the village.' 'In January, our technicians changed the tapping points for some of these premises to a different phase.' He said each of these strategies did not provide its consumers with lasting improvements. Meanwhile, SE's effort to provide PPR Kionsom occupants with power was partly held up due to the management company's (MC's) failure to complete the 'tagging' at the cabinets prepared for the meters. A SE spokeswoman said the MC was informed that the 'tagging' was still outstanding a whole fortnight before the keys were handed out to the first group of tenants in the middle of June. 'Tagging involves applying labels, tags or seals to the cabinets for identification, security and proper management of the meters,' she said. 'The tags help prevent tampering, ensure accurate billing and facilitate meter maintenance.' She said the oversight involving the tagging was only addressed after some of those who received their keys began grousing about their failure to receive an electricity supply, let alone have meters installed for their units. 'Once the tagging was done, our technicians immediately went in to have meters put in place for those whose applications had been approved. 'In some cases, the processing of these applications was delayed because of incomplete documentation, including the failure to provide signed copies of the tenancy agreements.' A spokesman for DBKK Holdings Sdn Bhd, the MC for the flats, said a miscommunication between the firm and its appointed contractor was to blame for the hold up with the tagging. 'A check of our records shows that, as of June 18, keys had been given out for 43 units whose tenants had paid their deposits,' he said. 'To date, occupational certificates have been issued for about 400 units.' He said PPR Kionsom comprised 1000 units overall, with DBKK Holdings tentatively targeting completion of the remaining flats by August. DBKK Holdings Sdn Bhd is the corporate arm of City Hall. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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