By Olivia Miwil
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah state government has been urged to urgently address persistent water supply disruptions at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).
Merotai assemblyman Sarifuddin Hata described the situation as a "fundamental crisis" affecting thousands of students and staff.
He said the issue has dragged on for years despite repeated complaints, memorandums and official visits by various authorities.
The Parti Warisan leader said the water shortage at UMS should not be treated lightly, as it affects more than 20,000 campus users daily, with estimated demand reaching between 1 million to 1.25 million litres of water per day.
"This is not a small matter. It is a basic necessity, and the current situation reflects a serious systemic failure," he said.
He said students are being forced to adapt to unstable living conditions, including carrying water supplies themselves and spending personal money on bottled water, with some even missing classes due to the lack of clean water.
"How are they expected to focus on their studies under such conditions? Is this the standard we want for our education institutions in Sabah?" he said.
"If we cannot even resolve basic infrastructure issues like water supply at UMS, it will be difficult to achieve broader development goals," he added.
Sarifuddin said that as a major public university, UMS hosts students from Sabah, Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and international backgrounds.
He also pointed out that the issue reflects broader water supply challenges in several areas across Sabah, including rural communities.
During the debate, Darau assemblyman Azhar Matussin proposed several measures to address water woes in Kota Kinabalu.
Among them was a call for the Sabah Water Department to submit a full report on the status of water supply in the state within 30 days.
He also said emergency allocations should be approved to repair pipes and upgrade ageing treatment plants, alongside the implementation of a water disruption notification system.
Azhar further suggested a review of the Kota Kinabalu Water Supply Plan, taking into account population growth over the next 20 years.
He also called for the establishment of the Sabah Water Management Commission.
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