UMS water supply stabilised after resolution of misunderstanding with Sabah Water Department
KOTA KINABALU: The water supply disruption plaguing Universiti Malaysia Sabah was caused by a misunderstanding between the university and the Sabah Water Department regarding the existing indicator at the R13 water tank.
Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya, who is also the State Works Minister, said the issue was being addressed, and the current indicator would be replaced with a digital version within a week.
"A series of discussions between the water department and the university, coordinated by the Sabah Works Ministry, as well as site visits to the university, have been conducted to resolve the water issue. We concluded that the water supply was not efficiently channelled due to a misunderstanding.
"However, this has been effectively resolved, and based on continuous monitoring since mid-May, the water supply at the university has remained stable to date," he said in a press conference here on Thursday (June 5).
Shahelmey said that to address external constraints such as water theft, incomplete pipeline installations and other factors, the water department and the university have been urged to work more closely to resolve or minimise water supply issues.
"Through these discussions, the water department and the university have agreed to cooperate, both in technical and communication aspects. The water department is also committed to ensuring that the volume of water entering the R13 tank remains sufficient and consistent, and will work with the university on pump operations.
"Additionally, the university must ensure that internal water distribution within the campus is well managed. JANS is also prepared to offer guidance and support in handling the university's internal water distribution if needed," he said.
Meanwhile, on the Telibong II pipeline project, Shahelmey said the Sabah government through the water department, is currently undertaking pipe installation works under phase II of the project.
The project is expected to be completed by early July and will serve the Sepanggar and Northern Kota Kinabalu areas.
"It is hoped that once the pipe installation is complete, water distribution to Sepanggar and Northern Kota Kinabalu will improve and water supply issues will be minimised," he said.
At the same time, Shahelmey said the Urgent Water Supply Scheme (UWSS) project at the Kasigui Penampang water treatment plant, which was initially scheduled for completion in April, has been delayed due to several issues, including unpredictable weather since early this year.
"It should have been operational by now, but there have been constraints. However, I have been informed that it is expected to be fully completed by early July.
"Once completed, the project would benefit users in Penampang, Putatan, Kota Kinabalu and surrounding areas," he added. – Bernama
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The Star
a day ago
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UMS water supply stabilised after resolution of misunderstanding with Sabah Water Department
KOTA KINABALU: The water supply disruption plaguing Universiti Malaysia Sabah was caused by a misunderstanding between the university and the Sabah Water Department regarding the existing indicator at the R13 water tank. Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya, who is also the State Works Minister, said the issue was being addressed, and the current indicator would be replaced with a digital version within a week. "A series of discussions between the water department and the university, coordinated by the Sabah Works Ministry, as well as site visits to the university, have been conducted to resolve the water issue. We concluded that the water supply was not efficiently channelled due to a misunderstanding. "However, this has been effectively resolved, and based on continuous monitoring since mid-May, the water supply at the university has remained stable to date," he said in a press conference here on Thursday (June 5). Shahelmey said that to address external constraints such as water theft, incomplete pipeline installations and other factors, the water department and the university have been urged to work more closely to resolve or minimise water supply issues. "Through these discussions, the water department and the university have agreed to cooperate, both in technical and communication aspects. The water department is also committed to ensuring that the volume of water entering the R13 tank remains sufficient and consistent, and will work with the university on pump operations. "Additionally, the university must ensure that internal water distribution within the campus is well managed. JANS is also prepared to offer guidance and support in handling the university's internal water distribution if needed," he said. Meanwhile, on the Telibong II pipeline project, Shahelmey said the Sabah government through the water department, is currently undertaking pipe installation works under phase II of the project. The project is expected to be completed by early July and will serve the Sepanggar and Northern Kota Kinabalu areas. "It is hoped that once the pipe installation is complete, water distribution to Sepanggar and Northern Kota Kinabalu will improve and water supply issues will be minimised," he said. At the same time, Shahelmey said the Urgent Water Supply Scheme (UWSS) project at the Kasigui Penampang water treatment plant, which was initially scheduled for completion in April, has been delayed due to several issues, including unpredictable weather since early this year. "It should have been operational by now, but there have been constraints. However, I have been informed that it is expected to be fully completed by early July. "Once completed, the project would benefit users in Penampang, Putatan, Kota Kinabalu and surrounding areas," he added. – Bernama
The Sun
a day ago
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Water supply at UMS stabilises after misunderstanding resolved
KOTA KINABALU: The water supply disruption plaguing Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) was caused by a misunderstanding between the university and the Sabah Water Department (JANS) regarding the existing indicator at the R13 water tank. Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya, who is also the State Works Minister said the issue is currently being addressed, and the current indicator would be replaced with a digital version within a week. 'A series of discussions between JANS and UMS, coordinated by the Sabah Works Ministry, as well as site visits to UMS have been conducted to resolve the water issue. We concluded that the water supply was not efficiently channelled due to a misunderstanding. 'However, this has been effectively resolved, and based on continuous monitoring since mid-May, the water supply at UMS has remained stable to date,' he said in a press conference, here today. Shahelmey said to address external constraints such as water theft, incomplete pipeline installations, and other factors, JANS and UMS have been urged to work more closely to resolve or minimise water supply issues. 'Through these discussions, JANS and UMS have agreed to cooperate, both in technical and communication aspects. JANS is also committed to ensuring that the volume of water entering the R13 tank remains sufficient and consistent, and will work with UMS on pump operations. 'Additionally, UMS must ensure that internal water distribution within the campus is well managed. JANS is also prepared to offer guidance and support in handling the university's internal water distribution if needed,' he said. Meanwhile, on the Telibong II pipeline project, Shahelmey said the Sabah government through JANS, is currently undertaking pipe installation works under phase II of the project. The project is expected to be completed by early July and will serve the Sepanggar and Northern Kota Kinabalu areas. 'It is hoped that once the pipe installation is complete, water distribution to Sepanggar and Northern Kota Kinabalu will improve and water supply issues will be minimised,' he said. At the same time, Shahelmey said the Urgent Water Supply Scheme (UWSS) project at the Kasigui Penampang water treatment plant, which was originally scheduled for completion in April, has been delayed due to several issues, including unpredictable weather since early this year. 'It should have been operational by now, but there have been constraints. However, I have been informed that it is expected to be fully completed by early July. 'Once completed, the project would benefit users in Penampang, Putatan, Kota Kinabalu and surrounding areas,' he added.
Borneo Post
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UMS, JANS strengthen cooperation to tackle water supply woes
Shahelmey (right) discusses water supply matters with Dr Kasim (middle) and Dr Rosalam. KOTA KINABALU (June 5): Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and the Sabah Water Department (JANS) have agreed to strengthen collaboration, particularly in technical and communication aspects, to address the university's ongoing water supply issues. Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya said several discussions and site visits involving JANS and UMS — coordinated by his ministry — have taken place to resolve the problem. 'To tackle external issues such as water theft, incomplete pipe works, and other contributing factors, we have urged closer collaboration between JANS and UMS to ensure the issue is resolved effectively for the benefit of the UMS community,' he told reporters at the Public Works Department (PWD) office in Sembulan on Thursday. He said both parties have agreed to cooperate more closely, and JANS has committed to ensuring a consistent and adequate volume of water flows into Tank R13, including joint coordination on pump operations with UMS. Shahelmey noted that the existing water level indicator in Tank R13 has been replaced, and a new digital indicator — currently at Customs — is expected to be installed within the week. Once installed, he will personally visit the site and involve UMS in coordinating pump operations. He also emphasized the need for UMS to manage on-campus water distribution efficiently, with JANS ready to provide technical assistance if needed. To improve water supply in northern Kota Kinabalu and the Sepanggar area, Shahelmey said the state government is carrying out Phase 2 installation of the Telibong 2 pipeline, expected to be completed by late June or early July. 'Once completed, the Telibong 2 plant will operate at full capacity, producing and distributing more treated water, leading to a more stable supply for the Sepanggar and UMS areas,' he said. He confirmed that water supply to UMS has been relatively stable since mid-May and expressed hope that this will continue with ongoing cooperation and the pipeline's completion. Addressing past disruptions, he urged parties to look ahead. 'Yes, there were disruptions, but the past is past. Let's move forward and work on preventing future incidents that are within our control,' he said. Shahelmey attributed the earlier issues to miscommunication between UMS and JANS, which is now being addressed. He also highlighted the challenge posed by rampant illegal water connections in Sepanggar, complicating enforcement. His ministry is currently studying legislative measures to curb illegal water connections. UMS Vice Chancellor, Professor Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor, stressed the importance of stable water supply, citing the university's 23,000 students, faculty, and visiting international scholars. 'UMS has produced over 100,000 graduates over the past 30 years. With continued government and JANS support, we can move forward. This is not a political issue — just a technical one between UMS and JANS that is being resolved,' he said. He also thanked netizens for raising awareness of the water supply issue, calling it a vital necessity for students. Dr Kasim added that nine tube wells have been drilled using RM5 million in federal allocations, including RM3 million from the Prime Minister's Office and RM2 million from the Higher Education Ministry. These tube wells provide 1 to 1.5 million litres per day (MLD) of untreated water for non-consumption use. However, UMS requires at least 5 MLD to meet its needs, he said. Shahelmey, when asked about the Prime Minister's recent remarks on the issue and possible additional funding, said his ministry would evaluate the matter technically and submit a request if necessary.
