By Olivia Miwil
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's water delivery system could be improved through corporatisation, but only if it is accompanied by new expertise and structural reforms, says former Sabah Water Department director Datuk Dr Amarjit Singh.
He said Sabah remained the only state in Malaysia where water services were still fully government-run, while most states in Peninsular Malaysia had successfully corporatised their water utilities.
"If corporatisation is pursued, it cannot involve existing government-linked companies or current water operators.
"You need new blood – people who understand the system and how it works. Otherwise, it will be back to square one," he told the New Straits Times.
The engineer and International Water Association member said Sabah's persistent water woes might stem less from rising demand and more from weaknesses within the distribution network.
"Demand does not increase exponentially. How can Kota Kinabalu suddenly require water for two million people when the population is nowhere near that?
"The issue lies within the network. We do not fully know where the water is going," he said.
During the opening of the Sabah Legislative Assembly last month, Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Musa Aman said priority would be given to upgrading and building water treatment plants statewide, alongside expanding the Non-Revenue Water (NRW) Programme to 12 districts.
Sabah Works Minister Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam later told the assembly that 1,574 illegal water connections had been disconnected between 2023 and March this year.
Joachim said Sabah's water supply network spanned about 16,244km, covering both the main distribution system and consumer connections.
State budget speeches over the past decade show Sabah has allocated between RM500 million and RM800 million annually to address water infrastructure and supply challenges.
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