Kuala Lumpur: The first phase of the Sabah Southern Madani Link project, approved by the Federal Government, is set to end Sabahans’ long wait for a more stable electricity grid system.
Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the approval involves a soft loan facility for Phase 1 of the 60km project under Budget 2026.
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He said the importance of the project had been identified since the 1980s, while the Sabah State Government had applied for related allocations for more than 10 years.
“Thankfully, the Federal Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has approved a soft loan for Phase 1 of this project, involving a 60km stretch under Budget 2026,” he said in a video post on his official Facebook page.
Armizan said the implementation of the first phase of the project is expected to take three years, with completion targeted for Sept 16, 2028.
He said the infrastructure project was crucial to completing the State’s electricity grid network by linking the West Coast and East Coast Sabah grids to ensure energy security and stability.
Armizan added that the Sabah Southern Madani Link project is one of the key components of efforts to complete Sabah’s electricity grid network.
“It is very important to connect the West Coast grid and the East Coast Sabah grid. This project forms part of the 330km grid network to be built in southern Sabah,” he said.
Armizan said reliance on a single grid had previously resulted in residents on the East Coast of Sabah, including Sandakan, Tawau and Lahad Datu, being cut off from electricity supply for several days.
“The incident occurred after a substation tower slipped following a landslide in September last year.
“Therefore, the Sabah Southern Madani Link project will provide a second grid connection, helping to ensure a more stable electricity supply in Sabah. We hope the allocation for Phase 1B will be approved in the future to complete the entire Sabah Southern Madani Link grid,” he said.
