By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 7: Excavation works by a third-party contractor damaged two high-voltage underground electrical cables near Green Heights here, resulting in a power outage that affected multiple areas on July 3.
According to a media release, the outage, which occurred at 2.46pm, disrupted electricity supply to various locations, including parts of BDC, Stampin, Jalan Lapangan Terbang, Stutong, Batu Kawa, Jalan Arang, 3rd Mile, Jalan Keretapi, Sungai Maong, Jalan Green, and Jalan Rock.
Several major commercial centres and essential facilities, such as the Sarawak General Hospital, Timberland Hospital, KPJ Hospital, Aeon Mall, The Podium, and Aeroville Mall, were also affected.
The technical team from Sarawak Energy’s operations and retail arm, Syarikat SESCO Berhad (SESCO), responded immediately and successfully restored the supply via an alternate source at 2:58 p.m. Cable repair works then commenced and were completed by 6am the following day.
This incident is part of a worrying trend of excavation-related damage to underground cables. Despite repeated safety advisories and engagements, some contractors continue to operate near underground infrastructure without prior consultation. This disregard for critical safety procedures puts both public safety and essential infrastructure at risk.
“We have made ourselves available to assist contractors in planning their work safely, yet some continue to proceed without engaging us. Contractors must take greater responsibility to uphold public safety,” said Effendy Syaiful Abdullah, SESCO’s General Manager for Western Region.
As of July 4, 2025, SESCO has recorded 33 cases of electrical equipment damage caused by third-party contractors in Kuching, with estimated losses exceeding RM330,000.
SESCO reiterates that damaging electrical infrastructure is a serious offence and offenders may face financial penalties and legal action. All contractors are required to comply with established safety procedures and consult SESCO prior to undertaking any work in the vicinity of underground cables.
The public is reminded to report outages or suspicious activities near electrical infrastructure by contacting Sarawak Energy’s Customer Care Centre at 1300-88-3111, emailing customercare@sarawakenergy.com, using the SEB cares mobile app and web portal, or chatting with its virtual agent CARINA. — DayakDaily
