SANDAKAN MP Vivian Wong and Tanjung Papat Assemblyman Datuk Frankie Poon have reached out to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to request his assistance in resolving the salty water issue that had plagued half a million residents in Sandakan for the past six months.
Recall that in March, FocusM reported that folks in Sandakan have been complaining about a salty water supply since December last year.
This is despite the water going through water purifying machines, with residents also claiming that it was as if a teaspoon of salt has been added into their water supply, thus prompting health and safety concerns.
“Since the issue of saline water in Sandakan occurred in November last year, the top management of the Sabah Water Department has been unable to resolve the related problems,” said Wong.
“I hope the Federal Government will intervene and take action soon as possible and take action as soon as possible to solve this problem and provide safe drinking water to the public in Sandakan.”
She further revealed that in addition to water supply interruptions that occur on an almost weekly basis, water treatment plants in the district are also often closed or not working properly.
“This matter has no doubt had a serious impact on the daily lives of Sandakan residents,” she said during a special meeting the Prime Minister had with Sabah Pakatan Harapan (PH) lawmakers in Putrajaya.
Many residents have reported suffering from symptoms of high blood pressure, kidney problems, and skin allergies, and residents are concerned about their health.
Wong and Poon added that Putrajaya can immediately intervene by allocating emergency funding and assembling a technical team to solve the problem, which the Sabah Water Department has blamed on the irresponsible act of fishermen who had damaged parts of the river gate at Sungai Segaliud, resulting in seawater to enter into the water supply intake at the Segaliud water treatment plant.
The severity of the situation had prompted Wong to call for the immediate sacking of Sabah Water Department director Baharuhom K.K. Sogon for his failure to provide an acceptable standard of drinking water. – May 10, 2023
Main pic credit: Facebook/Calvin Chong
