KOTA KINABALU – Public outrage over the Sepanggar water crisis would not be growing if short-term solutions had been properly executed, said Sepanggar MP Datuk Azis Jamman.
The opposition MP from Warisan noted that the construction of the second water treatment plant in Telibong, Tuaran should not be an excuse for the state government to fail in providing water to the masses.
He said he was aware that construction for the Telibong Water Treatment Plant 2 had not completed and the Covid-19 lockdowns have delayed the project.
However, he stressed that short-term remedies such as distributing water to affected areas using water tankers should have been done properly prior to the completion of the treatment plant.
“Finger-pointing should not have happened. The Sabah government should not have waited for the treatment plant to be completed, but also carried out the short-term solutions,” he said during a dialogue between residents of University Condo Apartment 2 (UCA2) and the management corporation, here today.
Azis noted that it has been almost a year since the water crisis hit Sepanggar, adding that it had understandably now reached a sore and emotional point – given the way the water issue has been handled by residential corporations and the state government.
In the case of UCA2, Azis noted that the management corporation has passed the buck to the state water department while the latter cited the water treatment plant as an excuse, blaming the management corporation for not solving the problem.
I feel everyone’s frustration. I also had to use my own salary (as MP) to buy and send water to the affected areas.
“But residents need to press the management corporation over this water issue as they are the ones providing the service and charging the residents a fee, while the management corporation needs to chase the water department.
“The water department should have sent water in as the management corporation is still paying for the water,” he said.
The water crisis in Sepanggar has forced many people in the area to endure hours of water rationing.
This came about because the Telibong water treatment plant in Tuaran could no longer cope with the increased population, with water pumps breaking down constantly.
The Telibong water treatment plant supplies water to two constituencies – Tuaran and Sepanggar, areas that are twice the size of Melaka.
Due to the increased demand for water, a second treatment plant is being constructed but has yet to complete. – The Vibes, November 20, 2021
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