01-07-2025
UMS water crisis is proof of dismal state of Sabah's infrastructure, says Warisan leader
KOTA KINABALU: The recent episode of water shortage at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) is a shameful reflection of Sabah's failed infrastructure, says Warisan's Melanie Chia.
The party's Kota Kinabalu deputy chairman said UMS students have endured water disruptions as far back as 2020, with one Sarawakian student even writing to their own state premier for help — something Melanie described as 'a smack in the face' for the Sabah government.
She was responding to UMS board chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan's recent statement that although the Telibong II water treatment plant is fully operational and able to supply over 80 million litres of treated water daily, the final 2km pipeline connecting it to UMS is still incomplete — resulting in treated water being wasted.
'This is not just a planning oversight. This is a policy and leadership failure,' she said in a statement on Tuesday (July 1).
"The plant is running, the water is treated – but there's no pipe to deliver it to students? Yet, they have the audacity to boast about progress and put up 'Sabah Maju Jaya' signboards everywhere. It's insulting to the people,' she added.
Melanie also questioned the Sabah government's promise that the pipeline would be completed by July, saying the public is growing weary of 'questionable timelines and PR damage control'.
She voiced concern over reports that low water pressure at UMS could be due to water being diverted to other areas, including the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP), describing it as poor planning and misplaced priorities.
'When you build infrastructure without properly considering demand and fair distribution, you end up with piecemeal crisis responses that never fix the root problem,' she said.
Melanie also criticised the recent RM3mil allocation from the Prime Minister and RM2mil from the Higher Education Minister for tube wells at UMS, calling it 'firefighting dressed as federal generosity'.
'Throwing millions at tube wells is not a solution – it's a band-aid that exposes the state government's failure. Water is a state matter – own it and fix it,' she stressed.
She said the situation at UMS reflects wider water supply issues across Sabah.
Warisan, she added, had received numerous complaints from residents and business owners whose livelihoods have been disrupted by water cuts.
'This problem has not only disrupted daily life and business, but it has also eroded investor confidence in Sabah,' she said.
Melanie said better resource management and plugging revenue leakages could help improve infrastructure delivery and lift the state out of poverty.
'We're rich in natural resources, yet remain one of the poorest states due to mismanagement and corruption.
'If the government truly wants to fix Sabah, it must start by addressing corruption at every level. Only then can we deliver clean water, quality education, and real progress,' said Melanie, who also urged civil society and student bodies to keep speaking up and demand accountability.
'UMS students deserve better. Sabahans deserve better. We must not stay silent while the next generation suffers."
