Lundu faces power, connectivity woes

FREQUENT power disruptions and poor telecommunications coverage in Lundu, Sampadi and Sematan are affecting essential services, tourism operators and small businesses, prompting calls for urgent infrastructure improvements.

Tanjong Datu assemblyman, Azizul Annuar Adenan said the unreliable electricity supply and weak internet connectivity were causing significant difficulties for residents and businesses in the coastal districts.

Debating the Sarawak Budget 2027 at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting today, he highlighted how power outages and low-voltage problems were disrupting healthcare services, water treatment operations and tourism activities.

He said electricity interruptions could jeopardise the cold chain for medicines at clinics and interfere with the operations of water treatment plants, potentially affecting essential public services.

“The tourism sector was also bearing the brunt, with resort and homestay operators receiving complaints from visitors when air-conditioning systems and basic facilities failed to function during power disruptions,” he said.

Meanwhile, seafood traders and cold storage operators had suffered losses amounting to thousands of ringgit due to spoiled goods, he said.

To address the problem, Azizul called on Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) to construct a new high-capacity main distribution substation in Lundu to separate grid loads from other areas and stabilise electricity supply.

He also proposed installing medium-scale standby generators at Lundu Hospital and the Lundu Water Treatment Plant to ensure essential services could continue operating during electrical faults.

Improved maintenance and the clearing of vegetation along power lines, particularly during the Landas season when strong winds are common, were also necessary to reduce disruptions, he added.

On telecommunications, Azizul said internet connectivity remained unsatisfactory in several rural and coastal communities, with some settlements still experiencing coverage blind spots while others could only receive signals outside their homes.

He said the situation was undermining efforts to promote Sarawak’s digital economy and cashless banking, while creating difficulties for entrepreneurs, students and tourists who depended on reliable mobile connectivity.

He urged the relevant agencies to expedite the connection of completed telecommunications towers under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) initiatives to service providers.

Azizul also called for telecommunications companies to install backup batteries or solar power systems at transmission towers to prevent mobile coverage from collapsing whenever electricity supplies were interrupted.

In addition, he proposed expanding coastal telecommunications coverage through new towers at key tourist destinations and villages, including Pantai Abang, Kayan and Sampadi.

He said reliable electricity and telecommunications infrastructure were essential to supporting economic activities, safeguarding public services and improving the quality of life for communities in the Tanjong Datu constituency.