By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, July 19: Betong Division is next in line to receive a full upgrade to three-phase electricity supply, following the RM160 million investment already rolled out in Samarahan to meet increasing power demands in rural communities.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the Sarawak government will allocate at least RM150 million to implement the same upgrade in Betong to prevent frequent electricity tripping, particularly in longhouses and rural villages.
“Previously, we relied on the federal Ministry of Rural Development for electricity in longhouses, but they only installed single-phase connections. Back then, people were content just having power. But things have changed.
“Today, rural communities are more modern. Longhouses have SUVs, air conditioning—single phase is no longer enough,” he said during the launch of the Betong Division Development Agency (BDDA) and the opening of the Batang Saribas 1 Bridge, which was broadcast live by the Sarawak Public Communication Unit (UKAS) via Facebook today.
He shared that the upgrade in Samarahan was prompted by Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development as well as Samarahan MP Datuk Rubiah Wang, who had voiced repeated complaints about the unstable electricity supply in her constituency.
“She came to me and said, ‘YB, we need to upgrade the electricity in Samarahan because it keeps tripping. It’s only single-phase. My ministry has some funds.’ So I said, ‘Alright, go ahead.’
“Then she came back and said, ‘YB, there’s no more allocation.’ So, like it or not, I said never mind—we’ll use our own (State) funds. That’s why we allocated RM160 million for Samarahan,” he explained.
Following that, he said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who also serves as Second Finance Minister and BDDA chairman, had approached him to highlight that Betong was also experiencing the same issue of frequent electricity tripping.
“Douglas, you’re finance minister number two. I’m number one, you’re number two—so go ahead and get it done in Betong,” he said.
“This means we’ll allocate at least RM150 million to ensure that the people in Betong no longer face electricity disruptions,” he added.
Meanwhile, in his earlier speech, Uggah expressed appreciation to the government, noting that nearly every household in the area is now connected to electricity.
“In the early days, electricity supply to villages and longhouses was only enough to power a rice cooker, one refrigerator, and a fan. But today—especially in Beladin—some homes have up to five freezers to store fish caught from deep-sea fishing.
“Longhouses now also have fridges and freezers, and people no longer want to tolerate the heat—they want air-conditioning. Not just one unit, but up to five per house. That’s why we often experience power trips.
“So I hope, perhaps under the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13), we can upgrade the current single-phase system to a three-phase electricity supply. The world is moving forward, and so should we,” he said. — DayakDaily
