KUCHING: Over 750 residents from 110 households in five remote longhouses at Ulu Entabai in Pakan, Sarikei Division are now supplied with 24-hour electricity under the Sarawak Alternative Rural Electrification Scheme (SARES).
Following a handover ceremony yesterday to commemorate the completion of the project, residents at the five longhouses – Rumah Sang, Rantau Chire, Rumah Igan, Rumah Jalang, Rumah Tonny and Rumah Japar, Ng Kemalih – have reliable and renewable electricity via solar through an innovative government-community partnership model.
SARES is an initiative under the Accelerated Rural Electrification Masterplan targeted at Sarawak’s most remote communities using renewable off-grid solutions being funded by the state government via the Ministry of Utilities and implemented by Sarawak Energy.
Sarawak Minister of Utilities Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said his ministry was intensifying efforts to increase the rural coverage to 97 per cent by the end of next year and a RM2.37 billion allocation has been approved for 2019-2020.
“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,” Dr Rundi said on the lighting up of the five longhouses.
Meanwhile Sarawak Energy, in a statement, said SARES was expected to electrify 8,700 households in remote villages by next year with either solar or micro-hydro solutions.
“Once set up by Sarawak Energy, the system is handed over to the community who operates and maintains it with technical support from the corporation,” it said.
Launched in 2016, the RM500 million programme has accelerated electricity coverage in Sarawak and has completed projects for almost 4,000 of the 8,700 households statewide. – Bernama
