NEWS & UPDATES

SARIKEI, 8 MARCH 2019, FRIDAY: Over 750 residents from 110 households in five longhouses at Ulu Entabai in Pakan here are now supplied with 24-hour electricity under the Sarawak Alternative Rural Electrification Scheme or SARES.

A handover ceremony was held at Rumah Sang, Rantau Chire today to commemorate the completion of the projects and the lighting up of the five villages. The communities worked together with Sarawak Energy and its contractors to build solar-powered systems for their respective villages.

Dato Sri Dr. Stephen Rundi Utom, Minister for Utilities Sarawak officiated at the event with Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, Assistant Minister for Utilities (Rural Electrification). Also in attendance were Rolland Duat Jubin, State Assemblyman for Meluan, Syed Fauzi Shahab, Director of Electricity Supply, Ministry of Utilities Sarawak and representatives from relevant agencies and community leaders. Representing Sarawak Energy was Dr Chen Shiun (郑勲), Vice President for Rural Electrification.

In his speech Rundi said, “We are a vast region with mountainous terrain and a sizeable dispersed population living in the interior. However, we recognise that everyone has a basic right to 24-hour reliable electricity supply. This requires us to be innovative in our methods, and SARES was developed as an out-of-the box solution to ensure we can extend reliable electricity supply to our most remote households.”

SARES is an innovative strategy targeted at the Sarawak’s most remote communities using renewable off-grid solutions. It is one of several initiatives under the Accelerated Rural Electrification Masterplan.

Driven and funded by the Sarawak Government via the Ministry of Utilities and implemented by Sarawak Energy, the Masterplan aims to expedite full electricity coverage for Sarawak by 2025 through a mix of strategies. This includes expanding the grid by extending transmission and distribution infrastructure as well lighting up remote communities through off-grid solutions.

“We are intensifying our efforts to increase the rural coverage to 97 per cent by the end of 2020 and RM2.37 billion allocation has been approved for 2019-2020.” he explained.

Rundi also extended the Government’s appreciation to the five longhouses for their cooperation and dedication in partnering the SARES team from his Ministry and Sarawak Energy for the successful completion of the projects.

Sarawak Energy Group Chief Executive Officer Datu Sharbini Suhaili commented, “The communities and their partnerships with the Sarawak Energy team are crucial in determining the success of the SARES projects. The communities are involved from planning right through to implementation. On our part, Sarawak Energy has set up a dedicated team to deliver this as we fulfil our mission to provide reliable electricity supply to rural Sarawak.”

SARES is expected to electrify 8,700 households in remote villages by 2020 with either solar or micro-hydro solutions. Once set up by Sarawak Energy, the system is handed over to the community who operate and maintain it with technical support from the corporation.

Launched in 2016, the RM500mil programme has accelerated electricity coverage in Sarawak and has completed projects for almost 4,000 of the 8,700 households.

Residents at the five remote longhouses – Rumah Sang, Rantau Chire, Rumah Igan, Rumah Jalang, Rumah Tonny and Rumah Japar, Ng Kemalih- now enjoy a continuous supply of reliable and renewable electricity 24 hours a day via solar through this innovative government-community partnership model.

The five longhouses were connected under the second phase of SARES for Pakan. The third phase has already begun and is expected to be completed by the end of March, providing electricity to 425 residents from 63 households in three longhouses.

SARES for Sarikei Division will electrify 224 households in 10 longhouses in 2020 and another 88 households in five longhouses in 2021.

Each SARES project involves the construction of standalone alternative systems utilising solar technologies to meet basic household electricity needs like lightings, fans, a television, a freezer and a cooker. This replaces noisy and expensive diesel generator sets.

Adding on, Dr Chen said, “After implementation, our team continues to provide technical support and train the beneficiary communities to operate and maintain the system. Nevertheless, if any major work is required, our team is ready to be deployed to handle the issue and to ensure reliable supply to the residents.”

Sarawak Energy Vice President for Rural Electrification Dr Chen Shiun symbolically hands over the completed SARES solar-powered system to Rumah Sang community leader Sang Anak Lasa witnessed by Minister for Utilities Sarawak Dato Sri Dr. Stephen Rundi Utom (centre), Assistant Minister for Utilities (Rural Electrification) Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi (5^th left), State Assemblyman for Meluan Rolland Duat Jubin (3^rd left), Director of Electricity Supply, Ministry of Utilities Sarawak Syed Fauzi Shahab (left) and others.

A group photo of the community leaders from the five longhouses powered by SARES holding up the certificates of the handover with the Minister for Utilities Sarawak Dato Sri Dr. Stephen Rundi Utom (centre), Assistant Minister for Utilities (Rural Electrification) Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi (6^th left), State Assemblyman for Meluan Rolland Duat Jubin (4^th left), Director of Electricity Supply, Ministry of Utilities Sarawak Syed Fauzi Shahab (2^nd left), Sarawak Energy Vice President for Rural Electrification Dr Chen Shiun (3^rd left) and others.

Minister for Utilities Sarawak Dato Sri Dr. Stephen Rundi Utom speaking at the handover ceremony at Rumah Sang.

Minister for Utilities Sarawak Dato Sri Dr. Stephen Rundi Utom (centre), Assistant Minister for Utilities (Rural Electrification) Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi (5^th left), State Assemblyman for Meluan Rolland Duat Jubin (4^th left), Director of Electricity Supply, Ministry of Utilities Sarawak Syed Fauzi Shahab (2^nd left), Sarawak Energy Vice President for Rural Electrification Dr Chen Shiun (3^rd left), Resident for Sarikei Felicia Tan (7^th left) and others.

The solar power station for Rumah Sang and Rumah Igan Ulu Entabai, Pakan