KUCHING: Several areas in Bintulu experienced electricity disruption for nearly two hours on Friday due to vandals damaging and stealing its electrical cables.
Sarawak Energy in a statement on Saturday (June 24) said the outage which occurred at 2am, affected residents in Bintulu Depot, Bintulu Waterboard, Simpang Sebauh and surrounding areas after more than six sections of 33 kV electrical cables, totalling 300 metres in length, were intentionally set on fire at the Taman Saberkas junction.
As a result, the Nyabau Water Treatment Plant was also affected, leading to low water pressure in certain areas, including the Tg Kidurong Industrial Park.
Upon receiving the outage report, Sarawak Energy immediately deployed its technical team to assess the extent of the damage and initiate the necessary repairs and supply to most customers was restored within 30 minutes.
However, in certain areas, it took up to two hours before their supply could be fully restored.
A police report has been lodged to investigate this incident and the utility company is increasing security patrols in the area to prevent further acts of vandalism.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Energy’s Bintulu Regional Manager Jabu Ngumbang said they have recorded a total of 13 cases of vandalism in the first six months of the year, surpassing the 11 cases reported in the whole of 2022.
He said this was a worrying trend, as it indicates that these vandals are endangering their own lives without regard for personal safety for the sake of monetary gain.
“I would like to remind everyone that tampering with live electrical facilities is extremely dangerous. Stealing cables can lead to flashovers, electrocution, burns and even loss of life. It also causes power outages that greatly inconvenience the affected residents.
“We strongly urge the public to immediately report any suspicious individuals observed near our electrical facilities to Sarawak Energy. This can help minimise inconvenience for numerous customers and contribute to the prevention of vandalism,” said Jabu.
To combat this issue, Sarawak Energy has implemented various measures, including increased night patrols and the installation of remote sensors to detect unauthorised entry into our facilities.
The utility company is also actively raising awareness through multiple media channels and collaborating with communities to educate the public about vandalism and its consequences.
In addition, joint operations with the police will be conducted to inspect recycling centres and monitor the trade of stolen copper cables among second-hand dealers.
If the public observes any suspicious activities, they can report them immediately to Sarawak Energy’s 24-hour Customer Care Centre at 1300-88-3111 or via email at customercare@sarawakenergy.com.
