Sabah Cracks Down on Water Scarcity Exploitation by Private Firms

KOTA KINABALU: The State Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya announced that Sabahans will soon find out if private companies are profiting from the ongoing water shortage issues in the state. According to him, his ministry and the Sabah Water Department are currently gathering information on the matter. “We may need some time to gather it,” he added.

Datuk Junz Wong, the Tanjung Aru assemblyman, recently raised concerns about the Sabah Women and Children’s Hospital in Likas being charged exorbitant water bills during water shortage problems. He alleged that certain companies were taking advantage of the dire situation and selling treated water at inflated rates. Wong referred to a letter from the government hospital addressed to the State Community Development and People’s Well-Being Minister Datuk James Ratib, which revealed that a private company had charged RM145,490.50 for supplying water during a supply cut in June.

Wong questioned, “Why are these private companies allowed to sell water at higher rates when there is no supply? It’s already bad enough that the hospital has no water, but it’s even worse that they are charged more than the standard tariff.” He pointed out that the Sabah Water Supply Enactment 2003 permits the Water Department to issue licenses to companies for water supply, but the tariffs can only be determined by the department.

The authorities are now working to gather all the necessary facts to determine if private companies are engaging in profiteering during the water shortage crisis. The issue raised by Wong has sparked concern among Sabahans, who are eagerly awaiting the results of the investigation. The state government will take appropriate actions against any company found guilty of exploiting the situation for financial gain.

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Credit: The Star : News Feed