Warisan objects to proposed Sabah electricity tariff hike

KOTA KINABALU (Jan 30): Parti Warisan (Warisan) has strongly objected to a proposed electricity tariff hike reportedly approved by the state government, warning that such a move would place an unfair burden on the people of Sabah.

Warisan vice-president and Tanjung Aru assemblyman Datuk Junz Wong said he was reliably informed that a 15 per cent power tariff increase, expected to take effect next month, was agreed upon at the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Cabinet meeting on January 21 and subsequently endorsed by the Energy Commission of Sabah (ECoS).

“Warisan strongly rejects this move and demands that the state government come clean and immediately explain the justification for imposing a power tariff hike on Sabahans,” he said in a statement.

Wong stressed that transparency and accountability are not optional, but core principles of good governance — especially when decisions carry serious and far-reaching consequences for households, businesses, and the wider economy.

He also sarcastically described the proposed hike as a “reward” for those who supported GRS in the last state election, even as Sabahans continue to suffer from inconsistent electricity supply and prolonged water disruptions in areas such as greater Kota Kinabalu, Menggatal, Penampang, Kota Belud, Sandakan, Kinarut, and Papar, some of which lasted for weeks.

“Instead of fixing these basic and long-standing failures in electricity and water supply, the people are now being asked to pay more,” he said, describing the move as grossly unjustified and unacceptable.

Wong cautioned that any increase in electricity tariffs would have a cascading effect, pushing up business costs and consumer prices, and further burdening ordinary Sabahans who are already struggling with the rising cost of living.

“Sabahans should not be forced to shoulder additional financial pressure when essential services remain unreliable,” he said.