Latest news with #JANS
Borneo Post
21-07-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Overhaul pipelines to resolve Sabah's water woes - expert
Amarjit Singh KOTA KINABALU (July 21): Sabah's chronic water supply problems are unlikely to be resolved unless the state urgently replaces its ageing pipeline network, despite millions being spent on new treatment plants, says a water expert. Former Sabah Water Department director Datuk Amarjit Singh warned that the core issue lies not in production capacity, but in the state's deteriorating water distribution system. Most of Sabah's pipelines, many made of asbestos cement and decades old, can no longer handle the increased volumes produced by upgraded treatment facilities. 'The problem will remain as long as the pipes are not replaced to match the upgraded plant capacity,' he said in a statement today. 'You can treat five million litres a day, but if the pipes can't deliver it, people still won't get water.' Amarjit, a water engineer by training, was responding to Deputy Chief Minister and Works Minister Datuk Ir Shahelmey Yahya's remarks regarding continued supply disruptions in Putatan and Kota Kinabalu, even though the new Kasigui treatment plant in Penampang is already producing treated water. Shahelmey recently expressed frustration over the issue, noting that the plant, which has a capacity of five million litres per day, is only producing three to four million litres due to distribution limitations. Amarjit also referred to Shahelmey's statement in the Sabah Legislative Assembly last week that approximately 1,200 kilometres of old pipelines would be replaced in phases. Contractors have been appointed since last year to repair damaged pipes in critical areas including Sandakan, Keningau and Kota Kinabalu. The replacement works are being carried out alongside major water supply initiatives under the Fifth Rolling Plan of the 12th Malaysia Plan. These include 18 projects on the West Coast, 15 in the interior, 12 in Tawau, five in Sandakan and two in Kudat. In preparation for the 13th Malaysia Plan, the state is also conducting district-level water supply studies to support short-, medium- and long-term master plans. These will contribute to a broader state Water Grid strategy aimed at ensuring stable and sustainable access to treated water across Sabah. Additional proposals have been submitted to the federal Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation. They include resolving long-standing shortages in Tawau and Sandakan, reducing non-revenue water losses in Keningau and Beaufort, replacing ageing pipelines in urban and suburban areas, and constructing pre-sedimentation tanks at 22 treatment plants statewide. Three new rural water supply projects in Kinabatangan, Beluran and Pitas have also been approved under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry. Shahelmey acknowledged legal and regulatory hurdles, noting that under the Water Supply Enactment 2003 (Amendment 2022), the Water Department (JANS) is only authorised to supply treated water to registered consumers. However, JANS is open to supporting other agencies undertaking alternative supply solutions. Amarjit stressed that unless there is a comprehensive and timely overhaul of the entire pipeline infrastructure, Sabah's water delivery problems — both in urban centres and rural communities — will continue. 'You can't push more water through brittle, undersized and leaking pipes and expect consistent supply,' he said. In September 2023, Putrajaya approved a RM300 million soft loan to Sabah for short-term water crisis fixes. An additional RM6 million has been allocated to address water supply issues at Universiti Malaysia Sabah — RM3 million from the Prime Minister, RM2 million from the Higher Education Minister, and RM1 million recently announced by the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister. Between 2001 and 2014, the federal government spent RM11.115 billion on infrastructure in Sabah, including RM4 billion on water-related projects. Recently, former Chief Minister Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee proposed that the Sabah Water Department be dissolved and replaced with a professional statutory body to manage the state's water supply.
Daily Express
19-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Frustrated over water shortage despite new plant running
Published on: Saturday, July 19, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jul 19, 2025 By: Nora Ahmad Text Size: Shahelmey said once Phase 2 of the Telibong 2 Water Treatment Plant project is completed, water can be channelled to the Inanam and Sepanggar areas. PUTATAN: Sabah Public Works Minister Datuk Ir Shahelmey Yahya expressed frustration over continued water supply disruptions in Putatan and city areas despite the new Kasigui Water Treatment Plant having begun producing treated water for both areas. Shahelmey, who is also a Deputy Chief Minister, said the Kasigui plant has a capacity of five million litres per day, but is currently only producing three to four million litres. Advertisement 'I'm personally quite disheartened. The new plant is already operational. I'm asking myself why the additional treated water still hasn't reached users. 'I instructed the State Water Department to investigate and they found the problem lay in the distribution network,' he told reporters after presenting awards to top 2024 STPM students, here, Friday. He said the situation which has impacted residents as well as five-star hotels and shopping malls is being addressed in stages. It was learnt that one hotel in KK had to resort to providing bottled water for guests to bathe. 'I received a flood of complaints last Monday. The moment I turned on my phone in Kuala Lumpur, they came pouring in. 'I immediately contacted JANS (department), and they found the disruptions were due to technical issues, including burst pipes, trapped air in pipelines and limited pump capacity.' Shahelmey said once Phase 2 of the Telibong 2 Water Treatment Plant project is completed, water can be channelled to the Inanam and Sepanggar areas. 'This will free up supply from the Moyog and Kasigui plants, which currently serve those areas, to be redirected to Kota Kinabalu and Putatan. 'As for the hotels, low pressure is due to their locations at the tail end of the distribution system. However, I was informed today that one hotel is satisfied with the current recovery plan.' He said strict monitoring is ongoing, and the government has implemented short-term contingency plans, including deploying water tankers to areas with low pressure. 'The recovery plan is being refined to ensure more efficient water distribution. God willing, we aim to resolve this issue within the week,' he said. When told that the water crisis is being exploited by the opposition ahead of the Sabah elections, Shahelmey urged for fairness. 'I'm confident that once the Telibong Phase 2 piping is fully installed, we will see a more stable water supply. Based on current projections, disruptions should be significantly reduced.' He acknowledged several ongoing challenges, including ageing infrastructure and water thefts. 'I remain confident we'll see a significant improvement by the end of this month. 'Constructive criticism is valid, but when people use AI-generated videos to smear the government, it damages not only the current administration's image but also the reputation of Sabah.' He the Government is working hard to address water issues which stemmed from legacy problems rather than the current administration's failings. 'These are the result of delays in past water infrastructure projects. We're now working to resolve them gradually,' he said. Sabah courts have also yet to conclude the state's longest and worst corruption scandal involving the State Water Department which is into its 18th year where an elaborate scheme involving then state ministers under Barisan Nasional and top department officials saw up to RM130 million meant for resolving water issues being pocketed. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
09-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Sabah committed to reliable water supply
Published on: Wednesday, July 09, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jul 09, 2025 By: Hayati Dzulkifli Text Size: Assistant Minister of Works Datuk Limus Jury said JANS is actively planning and implementing initiatives to deliver safe, high-quality and continuous treated water to all users. Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Works Ministry, through the State Water Department (JANS), is committed to planning and developing a sustainable and reliable water supply system to serve all communities in Sabah. Assistant Minister of Works Datuk Limus Jury said JANS is actively planning and implementing initiatives to deliver safe, high-quality and continuous treated water to all users. He said JANS also dedicated to enhancing service delivery by providing efficient, professional and customer-oriented services to ensure users' satisfaction. 'Under the Fifth Rolling Plan (RP5) of the 12 Malaysia Plan (12MP) up to 2025, JANS has undertaken a series of high-impact projects aimed at addressing long-term water supply issues. 'These include 18 projects in the West Coast Division, 15 in the Interior Division, 12 in Tawau, five in Sandakan, and two in Kudat,' he said when replying to Liawan Assemblyman Datuk Annuar Ayub Aman during question time at the State Legislative Assembly here on Tuesday. Annuar asked whether the State Government has special plan or long-term action plan to address treated water supply including use of alternative method such as rainwater harvesting especially in rural areas or areas that often face water supply disruptions. Looking ahead to the 13Malaysia Plan (13MP) starting in 2026, Limus said the Ministry is studying proposals to appoint consultants to conduct comprehensive assessments and prepare master plans for all districts in Sabah. 'The studies will focus on short-, medium- and long-term strategies to optimise safe treated water supply across the state, including the proposed implementation of a state-wide Water Grid strategy. 'Additionally, my Ministry has submitted a list of priority proposals to the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra), which includes resolving water supply issues in Tawau and Sandakan, implementing a holistic Non-Revenue Water (NRW) Programme in Keningau and Beaufort, as well as proposing works to replace old and deteriorating pipes in Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Putatan and Sandakan,' he said. Limus also revealed that JANS plans to build Pre-Sedimentation Tank Systems at 22 water treatment plants across Sabah in phases under the 13MP, subject to federal approval. Furthermore, he said the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW), through JANS, had approved three projects under the 12MP's RP5 to tackle water supply problems in Kinabatangan, Beluran and Pitas. As for alternative water supply distribution, Limus said JANS does not directly provide alternative water supply distribution due to its responsibilities under the Water Supply Enactment 2003 (Amendment 2022), which limits the agency's role to supplying treated water to registered users. However, he said that JANS fully supports alternative supply initiatives and is ready to offer technical expertise and cooperation to any agencies tasked with implementing such projects. 'This demonstrates our commitment to ensuring every community in Sabah enjoys access to safe and sustainable water,' he said. Meanwhile, Minister of Works Datuk Shahelmey Yahya said the State Government has plans to gradually replace its aging water pipe network in a move to address frequent leaks and water supply disruptions affecting several districts. He was replying to a supplementary question by Liawan Assemblyman Datuk Annuar Ayub on whether the government has any plans or programmes to replace old pipes that frequently burst, especially in areas that often experience water supply disruptions due to leaks in aging pipes. Shahelmey, who is also Deputy Chief Minister III, said Sabah currently has around 1,200 kilometres of old asbestos cement (AC) pipes, which have been prone to frequent bursts, especially in areas that often suffer water cuts due to pipe leaks. 'JANS has ongoing programmes to replace these aging pipes and upgrade transmission and distribution lines in districts such as Sandakan, Keningau and Kota Kinabalu. 'However, replacing all these old pipes at once would involve very high costs. Therefore, the replacement works will be carried out in phases,' he said. He added that since last year, JANS has appointed repair contractors to handle leaking and damaged pipes across all zones in the State as part of efforts to improve and renew the water infrastructure. 'This is part of our commitment to repair and replace old and leaking pipes currently causing problems in various parts of Sabah,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Borneo Post
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
1,200km of ageing water pipes to be replaced in phases, says Shahelmey
Shahelmey KOTA KINABALU (July 8): The Sabah State Government will replace 1,200 kilometres of ageing asbestos cement (AC) water pipes across the state in phases due to high replacement costs, said State Works Minister Datuk Ir Shahelmey Yahya. Responding to Liawan assemblyman Datuk Annuar Ayub during the State Assembly sitting on Tuesday, Shahelmey said the State Water Department (JANS) has already appointed contractors to carry out repairs on leaking and damaged pipes since last year and is implementing pipe replacement programmes in key areas such as Sandakan, Keningau and Kota Kinabalu. 'Replacing all old pipes at once would incur a huge cost, so this effort will be implemented in stages,' he explained. Shahelmey added that under the Fifth Rolling Plan (RP5) of the 12th Malaysia Plan (RMK-12), JANS is currently undertaking high-impact water supply projects: Eighteen in the West Coast, 15 in the interior, 12 in Tawau, five in Sandakan and two in Kudat. For the upcoming 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK-13), the ministry is reviewing consultant appointments to conduct district-level water supply studies. These studies will prepare short-, medium- and long-term master plans, including the implementation of a statewide Water Grid strategy to ensure access to safe and treated water. Shahelmey said proposals have also been submitted to the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, which include: Solving long-standing water supply issues in Tawau and Sandakan, implementing a holistic Non-Revenue Water (NRW) programme for Keningau and Beaufort, replacing old and dilapidated pipes in Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Putatan and Sandakan, and constructing pre-sedimentation tank systems at 22 water treatment plants throughout Sabah under RMK-13. Additionally, under RP5 of RMK-12, the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development has approved three water supply projects in Kinabatangan, Beluran and Pitas. On alternative water sources, Shahelmey clarified that JANS is limited by Enactment 5 of the Water Supply Enactment 2003 (Amendment 2022), which restricts the department to supplying treated water to registered users only. 'That said, JANS welcomes any alternative water supply proposals and is ready to provide technical support and cooperation to any authorised agency undertaking such efforts,' he said.
Daily Express
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
Sabah targets sustainable water supply, phased pipe replacement
Published on: Tuesday, July 08, 2025 Published on: Tue, Jul 08, 2025 By: Hayati Dzulkifli Text Size: Shahelmey, James Ratib and Joachim Gunsalam at the assembly KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Works Ministry, through the Water Department (JANS), is intensifying efforts to improve long-term water supply across the state under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), with 52 projects ongoing statewide. Assistant Works Minister Datuk Limus Jury said JANS is focusing on delivering safe, treated water through high-impact projects in rural and urban areas, while also preparing for the 13MP by proposing masterplans for all districts and a state-wide Water Grid strategy. JANS has also submitted priority proposals to the federal government, including replacing old pipes in Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, and Sandakan, and implementing a Non-Revenue Water (NRW) programme in Keningau and Beaufort. Limus added that JANS plans to build 22 pre-sedimentation tanks under the 13MP and supports alternative supply initiatives like rainwater harvesting, though its role is limited to treated water distribution. Separately, Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya said 1,200km of aging asbestos cement pipes across Sabah will be replaced in phases due to high costs, with active repair and upgrade works ongoing in Sandakan, Keningau, and Kota Kinabalu to tackle frequent leaks and disruptions. * Read full report in tomorrow's print paper or log in or sign up for e-paper and premium online news access. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
