SABAH REQUIRES additional funding in order to distribute treated water from the newly completed Telibong II Water Treatment Plant, even after the state has already been allocated RM320 million to deal with its water grievances.
The matter was brought to Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof during his visit to the plant in Tuaran yesterday. The deputy prime minister said that 70% of the falling mains project has been initiated.
Fadillah, who is also the minister at the Energy Transition and Public Utilities Ministry, said he has instructed his officers to start brainstorming a solution as well as costing for needed projects with the state-level Public Works Ministry and Sabah Water Department.
“I have instructed them to sit down and discuss ways to resolve the falling mains as it requires additional funding now.
“I have given them two weeks to come with the plan and the cost for the projects to be presented to Putrajaya,” he told reporters during his visit to the plant in Tuaran.
Fadillah also said that the funds will be in the form of a loan to the state government.
This is similar to the RM320 million fund approved for the state in July last year to implement short-term fixes to the water issues in the state.
"We need to explore ways to secure additional funds because the difficulty lies in allocating funds through a loan to the state government.
"While there is a provision for a loan, it is quite restricted, posing an additional challenge," he said.
He explained that one of the issues hampering the supply of water in the Tuaran district is a coordination problem between agencies overseeing works for the Pan Borneo Highway and the Telibong Water Treatment Plant enhancement project.
"Several concerns regarding the right of way have been addressed, with the water department being granted the necessary leave by the PWD (Public Works Department) to resolve that particular issue.
“The focus now shifts to finding a solution for the project's seamless continuation," he said.
Sabah Public Works Minister Datuk Shahelmy Yahya said in a Facebook post that the Telibong II Water Treatment Plant was completed in December last year and would be able to provide additional treated water of up to 130 million litres a day (MLD).
He said improvement on the supply can be seen at the northern area of Kota Kinabalu, Kota Kinabalu city centre, and Tuaran.
An indirect positive impact is also seen on the supply in Putatan district.
Fadillah also visited the Gudon/Telipok main distribution substation project and the Moyog Integrated River Basin Development project in Penampang.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has tasked him to deal with the water woes in both Sabah and Sarawak. – The Vibes, January 20, 2023
