SANDAKAN: Tanjong Papat Assemblyman Alex Thien has urged the Sabah Water Department to explain why water pipes keep bursting in the same areas of Sandakan and whether the ageing pipes are scheduled for replacement.
Thien said the latest pipe bursts occurred near previous repair sites, leaving several areas without water for days. His service team has been arranging water tanker deliveries to affected residents since Nov 3.
The disruptions have also affected schools and forced some eateries to close temporarily due to the lack of water.
Thien said residents deserved to know what was causing the repeated bursts, whether the affected pipes would be replaced and when the work would begin.
He also called on the department to provide a detailed breakdown of the RM848 million allocated for its statewide operating and development expenditure under the 2026 State Budget, including the amount set aside for Sandakan.
He said he had raised the issue during the Supplementary Budget debate in July and was now seeking details of individual projects, the areas they would serve and their expected completion dates.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim expressed confidence last November that Sabah’s longstanding water supply problems could be resolved in 2026. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor also said in September that the state had spent more than RM1 billion on water supply improvements, including replacing old and leaking pipes.
Thien said residents needed clear information on how these projects would improve water supply in their neighbourhoods, rather than general reports of project progress.
He welcomed State Education, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk James Ratib’s call for senior Water Department officials to visit Sandakan.
He urged the officials to inspect the affected sites, explain what further repairs or replacements were needed and publish tanker delivery schedules and collection points while repair works continued.
“People need more than temporary tanker deliveries. They want to turn on their taps every morning and have a reliable water supply,” he said. – James Leong
Thien overseeing the distribution of water supply to his affected constituents.
