In a Facebook post at 4.35pm, Sabah Electricity said power had been restored in Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Beluran and Kunak while work to recover the power supply was ongoing in Semporna, Lahad Datu and Tawau.

However, in a later update at 5.48pm, it said electricity supply to Semporna, Lahad Datu and Tawau had resumed.

This means that the three districts did not have electricity for more than five hours, from 12.14pm today.

The disruption had also led to water cuts in the affected districts as water treatment plants were unable to operate.

The cause of the disruption has yet to be determined.

“The supply of electricity in eastern Sabah has fully resumed. Sabah Electricity thanks affected users for their patience,” said the power company.

Last Monday, Sabah Electricity chairman Wilfred Madius Tangau said the Bornean state could face a statewide blackout from next January if the federal government does not provide urgent financial support.

Tangau, an MP from Pakatan Harapan component Upko, cited a letter from the Energy Commission of Sabah informing him that the additional RM866 million electricity subsidy given last year would not be considered this year due to fiscal constraints.

Since 2014, Sabah’s electricity tariff has been fixed at a subsidised rate of 34.52 sen per kWh, while the cost of power generation and procurement has increased.

Sabah Electricity generates only 20% of the state’s power, relying on independent power producers for the remaining 80% at a higher cost, creating a financial gap covered by federal subsidies.