KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — Some 40 primary and secondary schools in Sarawak may face severe electricity cuts and water shortages as their diesel contractor has fallen behind schedule.
The Borneo Post reported that for more than 10 days, schools in Miri and Limbang had been suffering from a shortage of diesel that powers the generator set for the school’s electrical appliances and water supply system.
“Without fuel, you cannot run the generators to power the electrical appliances and the school water supply system,” a source told The Borneo Post.
A similar issue occurred in 2017 when 30 rural schools faced a diesel shortage at the start of the new school year.
Following the incident, the Education Ministry had appointed a new contractor, Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd, to supply diesel to 369 rural schools in Sarawak.
Jepak Holdings was awarded the three-year contract worth RM1.25 billion to supply diesel and maintain the generator in schools, besides installing solar hybrid systems.
The car rental company had recently come under fire for failing to provide the schools with the services contracted.
It was reported that none of the schools had received new solar panels even 18 months into the project.
On Monday, Education Minister Maszlee Malik ordered an immediate solution be identified to ensure electricity for the schools when they reopen in a fortnight’s time.
