NEWS & UPDATES

MIRI, 6 NOVEMBER 2018, TUESDAY: The illegal blockade of the Miri Town Substation and its extension project has been removed in an orderly manner in an operation comprising relevant department personnel from Sarawak Energy and operations arm Syarikat SESCO Berhad, Electrical Inspectorate Unit of the Ministry of Utilities, the Police and Land and Survey.

The protestors were hampering Sarawak Energy personnel working to ensure adequate and reliable supply to the city's central business district and its surrounding areas.

Having secured an injunction order from the Court, the team worked to ensure all illegal structures set up to obstruct the smooth operation of and access to the Miri Town Substation were removed safely.

The team were also on site to liaise with the land claimants to inform them of the operation which also includes clearing the way for the utility’s operations and maintenance team to carry out scheduled maintenance of the substation which has been in operation for 30 years.

The claimants who were on site were given time to vacate the area before the legal site entry and clearing began.

The prolonged denial of entry at the Miri Town 33/11kV Substation by blockaders claiming land rights over Canada Hill, has jeopardised reliable and safe functioning of the critical facility which supplies the city’s central business district and its surrounding areas.

The area claimed includes the site on which the substation has been in operation. The group has been obstructing the duties of the operations team, denying access into the premises to perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance work.

The group illegally padlocked the substation gates, causing a delay in supply restoration during an outage this year.

An extension project located adjacent to the existing substation has been at a standstill for close to a year now. The new indoor substation was initially targeted to be commissioned in August this year, but construction had to stop due to the blockade as well as a matter of safety to all.

The project is a critical component of Sarawak Energy’s significant investment in the Miri Power Supply Reinforcement Plan to upgrade supply system to meet rapid expansion and rising electricity demand of the people of Miri.

The State-owned energy developer and power utility has worked with the assistance of and support from relevant authorities to reach out to the land claimants on several occasions to explain the criticality of the substation to ensure supply reliability to the people of Miri.

Sarawak Energy reiterates that projects to modernise electricity infrastructure must be completed on schedule and on budget otherwise the risk remains of having a system that cannot cope with the growing demands of the state leading to inadequate power supply and reduced reliability.

Sarawak Energy respects the rights of individuals and organisations in expressing their point of view but requests that this be done in a manner that is lawful and does not jeopardise the safe operations of its facilities and the safety of its personnel who are carrying out their duties to ensure reliable supply to the people.

The team broke and removed the illegal padlock to gain access into the substation.

Sarawak Energy operations team can now access Miri Town Substation

Removing the structures used by the claimants to illegally obstruct access into the substation.

Removing the structures used by the claimants to illegally obstruct access into the substation.

Removing the structures used by the claimants to illegally obstruct access into the substation.