UMS water supply sufficient, says Shahelmey

Borneo Post

2 days ago

Shahelmey
PUTATAN (June 3): The amount of water entering the tank at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) is sufficient, said Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya.
Shahelmey said that he had asked the Water Department to keep records of the amount of water entering Tank R13 throughout the month of May.
'So, from 19th May until yesterday, the amount of water entering Tank R13 was at a sufficient level — even more than sufficient,' he told reporters on Tuesday.
However, from 14th to 19th May, one of UMS's water pumps was faulty and had to be repaired.
'So, during that period, only one pump was operating, which might have caused the amount of water pumped from R13 into the UMS campus to decrease.'
The minister added that, together with the Water Department, he had observed and monitored the inflow of water from the department into Tank R13 at UMS.
'And according to our records, the amount of water is sufficient,' he said.
'However, I made a visit to UMS two weeks ago to see the real situation because the Water Department informed that there was water, while UMS informed that there was insufficient water.'
He added that, hence, one matter that was agreed upon in the joint meeting between the department and UMS following his site visit on that day was that both parties agreed the amount of water entering the tank was sufficient.
'Only at present, the indicator in Tank R13, owned by the Water Department, is not functioning,' said Shahelmey.
The faulty indicator has confused UMS in arranging their pump operation schedule, he added.
As a result of the meeting, discussions and also the visit, the Water Department agreed to ensure that they provide a report on the water level at Tank R13 every hour to UMS so that the latter can arrange their pumping operations on campus, he said.
'And for the damaged indicator, the Water Department informed that they have already ordered a new one, and we hope that in one or two weeks, the indicator will arrive and be installed. Once it is installed, I will visit again to ensure that there is no more miscommunication or lack of coordination between both parties,' said Shahelmey.
He asked for cooperation between the Water Department and UMS to ensure university students can focus on their studies and examinations this June without worrying about water supply disruptions.
'I want them to ensure the smooth supply of water to the UMS campus, especially in June, when foundation students will be sitting for their examinations together with undergraduate students, so they can focus on their studies without being disrupted by existing water supply issues,' he said.
Prior to this, UMS Vice-Chancellor Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor issued a statement against the Water Department's claim of sufficient water supply to the campus.
Dr Kasim described the department's statement as misleading and an insult to the university community, stating that if there was enough water, students would not be shouting and protesting.
He also claimed that the real issue lies in the location of UMS and the way the water supply is distributed.
The R13 tank has been fully operational since 2000 and serves other areas including Hospital Likas, 1Borneo Hypermall, Alamesra, Kingfisher and government buildings.
He also alleged that UMS, which sits on higher ground, often ends up with little to no water once gravity sends it to lower-lying areas.