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SABAH Umno has doubled down on criticism of Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, reinforcing attacks by its election partner PKR over the state’s prolonged water crisis.
Party information chief Datuk Suhaimi Nasir branded Shafie the “architect of Sabah’s water crisis”, citing his 2019 decision to terminate six private concessionaires operating 58 treatment plants across the state.
Suhaimi said the termination had saddled the state with RM315 million in compensation payments, while leaving residents in Sandakan, Tawau, Lahad Datu and Kota Kinabalu queuing daily with buckets and containers for clean water.
“The people of Sabah no longer ask when the roads will be completed, but when water will be available.
“Was this the decision of a wise leader, or a political move that strangled the people themselves?” Suhaimi asked from Kota Kinabalu on Monday.
On the contrary, the Umno lawmaker also questioned whether the compensation had been fully paid.
He also challenged Sabah Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun to clarify the government’s position.
He said Shafie’s administration had failed to provide clear replacement plans for the cancelled contracts, leaving water shortages unresolved.
“Shafie can hide behind political rhetoric, but the facts cannot be erased.
He cancelled critical water projects, left a burden of hundreds of millions in compensation, and Sabahans today are living through the worst water crisis in the state’s history,” Suhaimi added.
Suhaimi’s remarks follow similar criticisms levelled by Sabah PKR leaders last weekend and earlier today.
Previously, Suhaimi also accused Shafie of misleading the public over the scrapped Trans-Sabah Gas Pipeline project, insisting it was his administration’s decision to halt the multibillion-ringgit venture.
He believed the districts in the east coast of Sabah would not have incessant power supply problems if the RM4 billion pipeline project was completed. - September 22, 2025