KUCHING, July 6: Never attempt to do your own electrical work because not only is it against the law, but can have deadly consequences.
Sarawak Energy released this warning following a recent incident at a village at Melugu Scheme in Sri Aman, where a man was tragically killed and his wife seriously injured after he was believed to have been electrocuted while attempting to work on his home’s electrical wiring.
In the incident reported at 5.20pm on July 3, the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Sri Aman team found the couple, in their 40s, lying on the ground unconscious.
“The incident demonstrates how dangerous the practice of improper connection of supply can be.
“An internal investigation into the incident has been launched while a preliminary report has been made,” Sarawak Energy said in a statement today.
The utility company thus advised homeowners to not perform unlicensed and do-it-yourself electrical work but engage registered electrical installation contractors who are certified and competent to safely carry out internal wiring and other electrical works.
“By doing so, homeowners and their families are assured that the works are done safely.
“Do not risk your lives with illegal wiring extension works as this is against the law and is extremely dangerous.”
Sarawak Energy emphasised that it remains committed to building public awareness of electrical safety by running campaigns and highlighting incidents such as these.
The operations team have also reached out to the village headman regarding the dangers of illegal extensions, emphasising that all service lines are highly energised and are not to be touched.
“Extreme caution must be practised at all times when conducting electrical wiring jobs or working close by any electrical installations, especially high voltage power lines and substations to avoid getting electrocuted or hurt by electrical flash-overs.
“Electrical flash-overs occur when electricity ‘jumps’ without direct contact with power lines or conductors and can result in serious burns or tragic loss of lives.”
Safety should be everyone’s top priority and Sarawak Energy urges all to comply and adhere to electrical safety rules and guidelines to prevent such tragic incidents from recurring.
The list of registered electrical installation contractors is available on both the Ministry of Utilities Sarawak website https://mou.sarawak.gov.my/ and Sarawak Energy corporate website https://www.sarawakenergy.com/customers/customer-service.
Members of the public can also contact Sarawak Energy’s 24/7 Customer Care Center at 1-300-88-3111 or email at customercare@sarawakenergy.com if they have any doubts.
Reports of any concerns relating to electrical facilities such as service lines can also be logged into SEB cares, Sarawak Energy’s mobile app. — DayakDaily
