KOTA KINABALU: The actions taken by the Sabah State Water Department (JANS) regarding the use of water pumps have been described as hasty by Sabah UMNO Election Director Jeffery Nor Mohamed.
He expressed concerns that the decision to regulate the use of water pumps before the storage tanks fails to consider the broader context.
Jeffery questioned the rationale behind this move, which is purportedly aimed at reducing the Non-Revenue Water (NRW) percentage to 40 percent.
“I have doubts about this statement, as previous explanations have pointed to issues of water leakage and theft in squatter areas.
“Despite the demolition of several squatter settlements, the NRW rate remains at 54%. Is the use of water pumps truly a significant contributor to this high NRW percentage?” he said in a statement today.
Jeffery, who also serves as the Putatan UMNO chief, clarified that he would not oppose JANS’s actions if the water supply was managed effectively and without the need for rationing.
“Other factors contributing to the challenges in our treated water supply must also be considered, such as the ageing water treatment plants that have reached their operational limits and require upgrades, as well as the deteriorating pipelines that are prone to leaks.
“These issues are also significant contributors to the elevated NRW percentage, which cannot be overlooked,” he added.
Regarding the RM300 million “soft loan” provided by the federal government, he stated that it is intended to address the issue of treated water supply in the short term.
“I believe that actions to resolve the water source issue should be prioritised first, and we need to assess the outcomes.
“Once the quantity of treated water improves, we can then consider areas classified into different categories: good, moderately good, and poor.”
“If there is a need to take action regarding the use of water pumps, I also recognise the challenges families face in providing tanks, some of which are more expensive than the pumps themselves.”
“We must be realistic about the varying capabilities of our people in Sabah, as many still fall into the less affluent category,” he remarked.
Therefore, Jeffery hopes that the notice regarding the operation of water pump installations can be temporarily postponed.
He emphasised that such actions should be implemented gradually, following a study based on classifications, until the condition of the clean water supply improves.
According to Jeffery, to ensure fairness to all users, hasty actions are not appropriate at this time, given that the quality of the clean water supply remains unsatisfactory.
