KUCHING: Syarikat SESCO Bhd (SESCO), Sarawak Energy’s operations arm, has confirmed that a power outage affecting Kuching’s Batu Kawa and MJC areas on the night of March 11 was caused by a snake making contact with its electrical equipment at the Batu Kawa-Malihah junction.
In a statement, Sarawak Energy said that the incident occurred at 8.31 pm during heavy rain in Kuching.
“Upon receiving reports, SESCO’s technical team responded immediately, working to restore supply safely and efficiently despite adverse weather conditions.
“Power was progressively restored, with full restoration by 10.45pm the same day.
“However, subsequent equipment faults caused another outage in Riccarton Avenue, Moyan Mall, Batu Kawa Commercial Centre, Batu Kawa New Bazaar and Rantau Panjang before supply was fully restored at 11.39 pm,” it added in its statement today.
The utility company said that ensuring a reliable electricity supply comes with challenges, as Sarawak’s extensive transmission and distribution network runs through varied terrains including forests, farms and plantations.
“This increases the risk of wildlife-related disruptions, which SESCO continues to address through enhanced infrastructure protection measures and ongoing system improvements.
“SESCO remains committed to strengthening its infrastructure and response capabilities to minimise disruptions and enhance service reliability for all customers,” it added.
Meanwhile, according to Sarawak Energy’s Regional Manager for Western Region, Effendy Syaiful Abdullah, their priority was to restore power as safely and quickly as possible.
“We appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding as our team worked under challenging conditions to complete the restoration,” he said.
Members of the public can report power outages or wildlife sightings near Sarawak Energy’s facilities through the Customer Care Centre at 1300-88-3111, via email at
customercare@sarawakenergy.com, through the SEB cares mobile app and web portal, or by chatting with its virtual agent CARINA.
