Kota Kinabalu: Warisan President Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal dismissed Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor’s allegations that the Warisan-Plus State Government’s action of terminating the contracts of water concessionaires managing treatment plants statewide is to blame for Sabah’s current water crisis.
He said his Warisan-Plus administration ended the contracts of the six companies for being heavily lop-sided.
“These contracts were a major part of Sabah’s notorious ‘Watergate scandal’, which unfolded under the Sabah Barisan Nasional government, led by Tan Sri Musa Aman. [The scandal involving RM160 million is Sabah’s worst and currently the nation’s longest running corruption case with nobody convicted although hearings began eight years ago].
“This decision was made not only to address the inequitable terms but also to enhance water management across the state.
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Our report on September 24, 2024.
“The six companies, originally appointed in 2013, were responsible for maintaining 58 water treatment plants under a 20-year contract. For their services, they were paid RM15.5 million monthly.
“The termination of the contract saved the Sabah government RM12 million each month or RM144 million per annum.
“The 1,335 employees of these companies were then absorbed into the Water Department.
“The move was a cost-saving effort and even though the Government paid RM315 million in compensation, it still saved RM685 million from the 20-year contract.”
Hence, Shafie termed the claims as “unfounded and an attempt to divert attention from the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) administration’s failures”.
Shafie said the current government should concentrate on solutions rather than assigning blame.
“Sabah’s water crisis is a long-standing issue, rooted in decades of mismanagement, deteriorating infrastructure and lack of proper investment.”
He said placing full blame on Warisan is a clear attempt by the GRS to cover up their own shortcomings and failures.
“It is worth noting that Hajiji was part of the Musa government, which was embroiled in one of Malaysia’s largest corruption investigations involving the Sabah Water Department.
“Interestingly, the current Water Department Director, appointed by the GRS Government, testified in court that he received RM1.6 million in commissions tied to the watergate scandal.
“I am not aware of any other case in the world where RM3 million in cash was found hidden in a government department’s office safe.
“However, the GRS government has made little progress in addressing the issues within the Water Department, despite MACC investigations revealing the seizure of more than RM100 million in cash and assets, as reported by the media.
“There were no significant water issues in Sabah following the termination of the contractors in 2018. The water crisis only began after GRS assumed control of the state government in late 2020.
“Since then, consumers have experienced issues like salty water in Sandakan, no water supply at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, private companies selling water and frequent disruptions, all severely affecting the daily lives of people and businesses,” he said.
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