KUCHING: Excavation works by a third-party contractor damaged two high-voltage underground electrical cables near Green Heights, causing a power outage that affected multiple areas here on July 3.
The outage, which occurred at 2.46 pm, disrupted electricity supply to various locations, including parts of BDC, Stampin, Jalan Lapangan Terbang, Stutong, Batu Kawa, Jalan Arang, 3rd Mile, Jalan Keretapi, Sg 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 managed to fully restore supply via an alternate source at 2.58 pm,” Sarawak Energy said in a press release Today (July 7).
Cable repair works then commenced and were completed by 6 am the following day.
SESCO added that the 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 is a disregard for critical safety procedures, putting both public safety and essential infrastructure at risk,” it said.
According to SESCO’s General Manager for the Western Region, Effendy Syaiful Abdullah, SESCO has made itself available to assist contractors in planning their work safely, yet some continue to proceed without consulting the company.
“Contractors must take greater responsibility to uphold public safety,” he said.
In Kuching alone, SESCO has recorded 33 cases of electrical equipment damage caused by third-party contractors as of July 4, with estimated losses exceeding RM330,000.
These incidents not only disrupt essential services but also pose serious safety hazards, including risks of electrocution and fire.
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 virtual agent CARINA.
