SARAWAK Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has pledged to bring the issue of prolonged water supply disruptions at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) to the attention of Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.
While acknowledging the gravity of the complaints raised in an open letter by a Sarawakian student, the Premier said he was unable to take direct action as the matter falls outside his jurisdiction.
The student, 21-year-old Muhammad Rasul Rozmiezan from Kuching, had written to the Premier on May 23, detailing the challenges faced by students at the Sabah-based university — from inconsistent water supply to the lack of urgency shown by campus authorities in resolving the issue.
Rasul, a second-year sociology student, described a routine marked by dry taps, rationed buckets, and missed showers, sometimes for days on end.
“It’s been like this for a while. Sometimes we don’t get water for two or three days straight,” he wrote. “We fill up whatever containers we have and try to make it last. There’s only so much we can do.”
In his letter, Rasul appealed not only on behalf of the nearly 1,000 Sarawakian students at UMS but also their Sabahan peers, stressing that the water crisis cuts across state lines and should not be dismissed as a localised problem.
“We’re far from home. We don’t have family here. We’re trying to be strong. But the truth is, this problem affects everyone — not just Sarawakians,” he said.
The Premier, in response, thanked the student for highlighting the issue and assured that he would refer the matter to the relevant ministry.
“Although it is not within my power to intervene directly, I will raise the issue for the information and action of the Minister of Higher Education,” he said.
So far, there has been no public statement from UMS addressing the students’ concerns, nor has the ministry responded to the Premier’s referral.
Still, for students like Rasul, any acknowledgment is a step forward.
“I just want someone to care,” he said. “We’re not asking for luxury. Just clean water. Just for things to be normal.”
As he returns to his dorm — where water has momentarily resumed — the buckets remain by the door. Just in case. – May 27, 2025
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