Kota kinabalu: After more than three decades without legitimate electricity supply, residents of Kampung Selamat here are relieved and happy to benefit from the implementation of a centralised meter house project by Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (Sabah Electricity), completed in August last year.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the innovative Sabah Electricity project, which selected Kampung Selamat as its pilot location in Sabah, was developed to address illegal electricity connections in squatter settlements. Trader Muhd Dani Kaising, 62, expressed his gratitude for the new facility, noting that it ended more than 35 years of hardship due to the lack of legal electricity supply. He shared his past struggles of relying on a generator, which was costly and provided limited electricity.
Earlier, Sabah Electricity's chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Yaakob Jaafar visited the centralised meter house project in the village. Another resident, Abdul Muin, 67, mentioned the electricity supply has been more stable since the project's implementation last year, emphasizing the safety and official nature of the supply.
Meanwhile, Mohd Yaakob informed reporters that the project, valued at about RM266,000, was completed on August 7 last year and benefits 54 users. The pilot project was implemented in Semporna, a district with the highest electricity theft rate in Sabah at 32 per cent. This initiative aims to reduce power disruptions and prevent estimated revenue losses.
The project has significantly decreased the System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) in surrounding areas, dropping from 87 disruptions (3.25 minutes per user) in 2024 to 32 disruptions (1.62 minutes per user) in 2025. It was completed within a year and included constructing a meter house, developing electricity supply infrastructure, and consolidating meters in a single location.
Mohd Yaakob added that the project introduced a community safe regulation concept, where residents with legitimate electricity supply monitor and safeguard their electrical cables. This initiative indirectly helps curb electricity theft. A similar project will be expanded to the squatter area of Kampung Delima in Kota Kinabalu starting this April.