by DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, March 14: A dangerous act of vandalism on Sarawak Energy’s electrical infrastructure was found to be the cause of a power outage in several areas of Miri on March 12.
According to Sarawak Energy’s press statement, it was found that there was a cut in a cable between the Piasau and Lutong substations at around 12.54pm, disrupting power supply to customers at Lutong, Piasau, parts of Senadin, Pujut, and surrounding areas.
Upon receiving reports from the public, Sarawak Energy, through its operations and retail arm Syarikat SESCO Bhd (SESCO), immediately deployed its technical team to assess the situation and restore supply as safely and quickly as possible.
Supply was progressively restored from 1pm onwards, with power fully restored by 2.19pm.
A police report has been lodged and investigations are ongoing. Items believed to have been left behind by the vandals, including slippers, clothing, and a gunny sack, have been handed over to authorities to aid in the investigation.
Despite ongoing public awareness programmes by the Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication and Sarawak Energy, vandalism of electricity infrastructure continues to be a pressing issue in Sarawak. In 2024, a total of 39 vandalism cases have been reported in Miri, resulting in damages exceeding RM296,000.
“Sarawak Energy views such acts of vandalism seriously as they not only cause public inconvenience but also pose severe safety hazards such as fire risks, electrocution and life-threatening injuries.
“Tampering with high-voltage equipment endangers public safety and can lead to major service disruptions,” it said.
Sarawak Energy said it would continue to strengthen security measures to safeguard critical infrastructure, including increasing patrols in high-risk areas and deploying advanced monitoring systems to detect unauthorised access to its substations or assets.
“SESCO’s technical teams are also on standby to ensure prompt restoration in the event of supply interruptions,” it added.
Meanwhile, members of the public are urged to report any suspicious activities near electrical facilities by calling the Company’s Customer Care Centre at 1300-88-3111, or emailing customercare@sarawakenergy.com.
Reports can also be made through the SEB Cares mobile app and web portal, or by chatting with Sarawak Energy’s virtual agent CARINA. All reports are kept strictly confidential. – DayakDaily
