KOTA KINABALU, Sept 26 — Eleven telecommunications towers in the West Coast Division of Sabah, including in Kota Kinabalu and Penampang, have been identified for urgent site hardening work to ensure electricity supply and communication networks remain stable during natural disasters such as floods or landslides.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said priority will be given to towers most at risk during the northeast monsoon season and those frequently affected by power outages.
“Recently, there was a power disruption in eastern Sabah that affected several telecommunications towers. I’ve instructed the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to analyse outage data from the past two years so we can identify patterns.
“Based on that data, I’ve requested that towers most frequently affected by outages be equipped with backup solutions such as generators or solar systems,” he told reporters after visiting and presenting cash aid to 219 recipients comprising Madani Community members and ministry personnel at the Communications Ministry Integrated Complex here today.
Fahmi noted that power disruptions also affect the operation of the National Information Dissemination Centre (Nadi), and the site hardening work on the affected towers is expected to be completed in the next few months.
Meanwhile, Fahmi announced that the Mobile Integrated Radio and Internet Communications System (Prime), developed by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), will be deployed to Sarawak next.
The vehicle-based Prime functions as a mobile support unit deployed during disasters to maintain internet and communication connectivity, especially for security and rescue teams.
On September 7, two Prime units were deployed in Sabah and one in Peninsular Malaysia as part of efforts to enhance communication readiness during disaster emergencies, particularly in areas prone to network disruptions or internet outages. — Bernama
