Kota Kinabalu: Parti Warisan demanded the State Water Department take full responsibility for the water shortages plaguing Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and nearby areas, dismissing its recent claims as irresponsible finger-pointing.
“The Department’s attempt to blame UMS for pump and meter failures is misleading and unacceptable. This is a systemic failure, students are suffering and communities from Tuaran to Sepanggar are equally affected. The Department must stop making excuses and act immediately,” said Kalabakan Division Chief Sarifuddin Hata, in a statement, Tuesday.
The rebuke follows the Departments’ statement attributing disruptions to internal campus infrastructure, which UMS Vice Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor called an insult to students forced to protest over unmet basic needs.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});Kasim was quoted as saying that the root cause is the Department’s inadequate supply, exacerbated by low water pressure in hilly areas and skewed distribution favouring low-lying zones despite UMS housing the main R13 storage tank.
Warisan urged the State Government to intervene, warning that scapegoating the university only deepens public distrust while solving nothing.
“We stand with UMS and all affected residents. Clean water is a right, not a privilege,” said Sarifuddin, who is also Merotai Assemblyman.
Meanwhile, the National Consumer Foundation Malaysia (Yayasan Pengguna Negara Malaysia, YPNM) Sabah Chapter demanded a public apology from the Water Department (JANS).
YPNM Sabah Chairman David Chan said JANS’ statement was misleading and damaging to UMS, a respected institution of higher learning with thousands of students and academic staff.
“To shift the blame to UMS by alleging internal pumping failures without proper consultation or technical verification is simply irresponsible,” he said, in a statement.
Chan said UMS employs a team of qualified engineers and technical experts, many holding Master’s and doctoral degrees, who are more than capable of diagnosing system issues.
“To suggest otherwise is a dismissive and disrespectful act that undermines the university’s credibility,” he said.
Chan called on the JANS Director to withdraw the claim and issue a public apology to UMS students, faculty and administration.
He also urged the department to work collaboratively with the university to implement long-term solutions.
