SEBUYAU: The Sarawak Government has allocated RM150 million to upgrade the electricity supply system across the Samarahan Division up to Sebuyau, ensuring rural households will soon enjoy the same three-phase power access as urban areas.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the allocation was necessary as the existing single-phase supply, introduced in 1979 under the Rural Electrification Scheme (RES), is no longer able to meet the needs of modern rural communities.
“The lifestyle of our rural communities has changed because development has reached these areas. The electricity supply we currently have in Samarahan is no longer sufficient,” he said.
He said this at a press conference after officiating the Samarahan Division Electricity Supply Upgrading Project at Kampung Sampat, Sebangan Hall, here today (Nov 23).
He noted that when the RES project first reached Samarahan, households typically needed just a refrigerator and a few power points.
“At that time, our community only needed enough electricity for perhaps a refrigerator, but today everything has changed.
“Even cooking rice is done using an electric rice cooker, and almost everything depends on electricity. Naturally, the current electricity supply in these areas is inadequate, and we need to upgrade it,” he said.
Abang Johari explained that although the federal government had previously allocated funds for the project, it was never implemented.
“And that allocation is no longer available. Therefore, the state government has taken over by providing an allocation of RM150 million for upgrading the electricity supply throughout the Samarahan division up to Sebuyau.
“This will allow our communities to have three-phase electricity at home, similar to what people in urban areas have,” he said.
The upgrade will include the installation of three-phase electricity and modern wiring systems to reduce power tripping.
The Premier said that once upgrades in Sebuyau are completed, similar improvements will be extended to Betong division, particularly areas near Sri Aman.
“This means half of the southern region—and eventually the whole of southern Sarawak—will have electricity supply similar to developed areas,” he said, adding that northern and other regions will also follow, with the target of achieving full three-phase supply statewide within five to seven years.
