KOTA KINABALU – Sabah will fall down the pecking order of investor interest if the government fails to ensure there are no disruptions to operations of public assets such as the ongoing power outage at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) I here, Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin said today.
QEH I has been cut off from the power grid and operating on backup generators for nearly 24 hours, forcing the state health department to close the hospital’s operating theatres for two days until power is restored.
Chan said the state has long suffered from regular power outages and water supply shortages, which he said also affected other strategic assets such as the Kota Kinabalu International Airport and industrial parks.
“No one will be willing to stay and invest in an environment that is not conducive for business where even basic welfare is lacking,” the DAP parliamentarian said in a statement.
Chan said the Sabah government has no excuses, especially with the recent announcement of a five-fold increase in the quantum of the annual special grant from the federal government.
“All power and water/utilities are under state agencies. I would like to call upon the state government to put more money into ensuring that public strategic assets no longer suffer from outages,” he said. – The Vibes, April 20, 2022
