Big promises, but drinking source still muddy water: Sandakan villagers

SANDAKAN – As Malaysia approaches its 59th birthday on 16th September 2022, over 1,000 villagers in Kg Bambangan, Sandakan, are still living off of muddied rainwater accumulated from the forest.   

Speaking to The Vibes, village chief Mahalan Yassin said despite election candidates from different parties entering the village promising them clean water supply, it never came true.   

“I have lost trust in politicians,” he said.   

About 20 years ago, the villagers had taken their own initiative to find the closest natural water source to their village – two small natural ponds in the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, about 3km away from their home.   

“About 190 households in the village chipped in money to buy water pipes, and they started setting up the pipes to connect water from the pond to their houses.   

“However, the water is not exactly safe to be used as wild animals such as wild boars and monkeys also drink from the ponds, and other natural but dangerous plants contaminate the water.   

“Itchy bodies, rashes on our skin, diarrhoea – these are common for our village folk. 

“Those who have babies need to bathe the babies with mineral water.   

“Each household here spends a lot of money on bottled drinking water – we buy cartons of them every week. 

“That is, for the villagers who can afford it, how about those who can’t ?” he asked.

Kg Bambangan is only about 45 minutes away from Sandakan town, and is under the Sekong state seat and Batu Sapi Parliament seat. 

The village had received its supply of electricity only in 2014.   

Muddy waters like Milo

Most of its villagers consist of fishermen while their children who are mostly pupils at SK Bambangan Sandakan primary school are also forced to rely on rainwater.   

During rainy days, Mahalan said the villagers would be getting brown-coloured water, similar to Milo, because of the mud being washed down from the hill. 

On dry days, there will be no water.

Typically, twice or three times a week, a group of about ten men from the village would have to walk 3km to the ponds to release air bubbles from the pipes to ensure smooth water flow.   

The Vibes recently experienced a  6km walk into the forest reserve with the villagers which was definitely no walk in the park.    

Located right next to the sea, Kg Bambangan also has a recreational spot popular among domestic tourists – Jeti Lagenda Bambangan (Bambangan legendary jetty). 

There is also a Fisheries Department office in the village.   

“Until today, politicians have visited us during elections, promising that they were going to fix this problem. 

“But today, we are still drinking this water (pointing at dirty water in the pond). We don’t know how to trust politicians anymore,” Mahalan stressed. 

‘Luck wasn’t on our side’

Another villager, Rosmand Madzlan, 44, said that the village came close to having a water supply in 2014 when Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal was the rural and regional development minister, and RM3.2 million was allocated for clean water supply in the village.   

“But luck was not on our side. After Shafie was removed from the cabinet in 2015, the development plan was also cancelled.”

Rosmand said there are industrial factories about 2km in another direction of the village that has clean water supply, making the villagers think that water supply is “so close, but yet so far”.   

He said the Water Department could easily set up the pipes from the factory area and source it to the village, yet something so simple was never done from the time when he was born until today.   

“We have resubmitted countless applications to the Water Department after Shafie was no longer in the cabinet, but the department ignored our requests,” he said.   

Non-governmental organisation Pertubuhan Peduli Rakyat Sabah’s president Harthono Isnanthomo who had recently posted the village’s water supply problem on Facebook said he hopes the authority will take serious and immediate action on the villagers’ woes.   

The villagers are tired, frustrated and disappointed. The roads have been paved, electricity has been connected, why can't water be supplied?

The Batu Sapi federal seat is currently vacant after the passing of its MP, Warisan chairman Datuk Liew Vui Keong in October 2020. 

The Covid-19 pandemic had stopped a by-election from taking place.  

When contacted by The Vibes, Warisan’ Sekong state assemblyman Alias Sani, said that he is aware of the issue and will make a statement soonest.  

Sekong Community Development leader, Umno’s Hazulizah Mohd Dani, has yet to respond to queries on the issue. – The Vibes, August 21, 2022