KOTA KINABALU: The recent statewide power disruption and blackouts on the east coast of Sabah should not be criticised, as they were caused by an unprecedented natural disaster, says the National Consumer Foundation Malaysia.

The foundation’s Sabah chapter chairman, David Chan, said the blackouts were caused by a landslide triggered by unusually heavy rainfall.

"This led to the collapse of a 275kV transmission tower—a rare and unprecedented natural disaster that severely disrupted Sabah’s main power transmission system," he said in a statement.

Chan said the public should be patient and avoid critical comments or politicising the incident, as it was an act of nature.

Sabah Electricity immediately mobilised its technical teams to carry out repairs and restore power supply progressively within 48 hours of the transmission tower collapse on Sept 12.

"We commend the commitment and tireless efforts of the Sabah Electricity technical teams, who worked under challenging weather and terrain conditions to restore electricity as soon as possible."

Chan urged the public to be patient and allow the technical teams sufficient time to complete repair works safely.

"We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates in the interest of all Sabah consumers," Chan added.

On Monday (Sept 15) evening, Sabah Electricity used helicopters to transport equipment for the installation of an Emergency Restoration System in Penampang, as the weather showed slight improvement.

The company said it would accelerate installation works and efforts to restore power to affected areas.

The collapse of the transmission tower triggered blackouts in the east coast, affecting Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Kunak, Semporna, and Beluran districts on Sept 12.