BEAUFORT: Sabah’s recurring water supply disruptions must not be allowed to become a “new norm” for residents, said Warisan Sipitang Deputy Division Chief Mohammad Rizduan Awang.
He said the Sabah Water Department (SWD) had issued several water supply disruption notices affecting areas including Sook, Ranau, Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Tawau and Pitas due to various problems, including power disruptions, burst pipes and operational issues at water treatment plants.
Rizduan questioned how long Sabahans would have to regard recurring water cuts as normal, particularly when the State Government had said more than RM1 billion was being spent on water supply projects across Sabah.
He said the allocation included pipe replacement works in several districts and various large-scale water supply projects.
“I am not questioning the need for the allocation. Instead, the people have the right to know what results have been achieved from such substantial expenditure,” he said.
Rizduan said the public deserved clear answers on how many water projects had been completed, how many kilometres of old and problematic pipes had been replaced and how many areas previously prone to frequent disruptions had been removed from the high-risk list.
He also questioned how much water supply disruptions had been reduced following the projects and what targets had been set to resolve water problems in each district.
“The public should not simply receive water disruption notices whenever problems occur without being informed of the long-term resolution status,” he said.
Rizduan noted that the SWD’s official website in early October still listed works involving pumps, pipes, treatment plants and water deliveries to affected or low-pressure areas in several districts.
“This shows that Sabah’s water problem is not merely about one project or one area, but involves the entire system and requires a comprehensive and continuous solution,” he said.
Rizduan proposed that the Sabah Government regularly publish a Sabah Water Supply Recovery Plan Performance Report detailing expenditure, completed and ongoing projects, project progress, kilometres of pipes replaced, areas receiving improved supply, disruption rates before and after projects, and district-level completion targets.
“The people do not only want to know how much money has been spent because they want to know what the results are, and water is a basic necessity. It is needed by every family, school, hospital, business premises, tourism sector and industry,” he said.
“Don’t let the people eventually regard water supply disruptions as a ‘new norm’ that must be accepted in their daily lives.
“If more than RM1 billion has indeed been allocated to address Sabah’s water supply problems, then the people have the right to see clear KPIs, measurable progress and a definite completion timeframe. The Government has a responsibility to implement the projects, but for the people, the outcome of those projects is what matters most,” he said.
