Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) has filed a police report regarding concerns of power abuse or corruption that may have resulted in exorbitant electricity charges for residents in the Kota Belud district. The chief executive officer of SESB, Mohd Yaakob Jaafar, stated that there had been cases in the villages of Kampung Kulambai, Kampung Kuala Abai, and Kampung Kulambai Dundau where some residents received electricity bills amounting to thousands of Ringgit. He announced on Wednesday (Sept 13) that a police report had been lodged regarding this issue in order to investigate possible abuse of power or criminal activities.
Besides reporting to the police, SESB is also conducting an internal investigation into the cause of the excessive billing and taking measures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. Mohd Yaakob suggested that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) could be involved in the investigation. He asserted that SESB would not tolerate any wrongdoing, even if it involved their own staff or officials. He emphasized that if any individual was found to be involved in power leakage resulting in a burden on customers, SESB would take appropriate action against them.
Ensuring stable and quality power supply to customers while accurately charging for electricity consumption is a top priority for SESB, according to Mohd Yaakob. He welcomed any information regarding the excessive billing case and any suggestions for improving their services.
Residents of the aforementioned villages had previously raised concerns about the exorbitant electricity bills. They alleged that SESB officials had acknowledged the possibility of abuse or mistakes in the issuance of the bills during meetings with the affected residents. The SESB officials reportedly urged the residents to settle their bills promptly. In addition to filing their own police reports, the residents have sought intervention from the Sabah West Coast Smart Consumers Association. The association’s president, David Chan, called for a thorough investigation by SESB due to the involvement of numerous households. He argued that if there were misreadings of meters by SESB personnel, the burden should not be placed on villagers who cannot afford to pay such high bills.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
