KOTA KINABALU – About 50 individuals comprising Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) students, non-government organisations, and groups marched for 5km from the UMS campus to the Chief Minister’s Office here to protest the authorities’ poor handling of water woes in the state.
They chanted “Where is Sabah’s water supply?” and demanded to meet Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor to submit a memorandum of the demands to improve water supply.
The students were joined by two non-government organisations, Borneo Komrad, and a community group from the Kinarut Ria People’s Housing Project apartment.
It was learnt that the protest was held after the students had notified the police.
Upon reaching the Sabah State Administrative Centre where Hajiji’s office is located at about 2pm today, the students sat on the floor at the compound holding placards and banners while shouting their chants in front of the police and media.
However, it was understood that Hajiji was not in his office today.
At about 3pm, Sabah Deputy Chief Minister who is also state Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya came to meet the group, telling them that he represented Hajiji to receive the memorandum.
The group, which called themselves Suara Mahasiswa, however, refused to submit the memorandum to Shahelmey and insisted on meeting Hajiji in person.
Shahelmey told the press that he felt that the protest was politically motivated, considering that they did not want to submit the memorandum to him.
“I also don’t know their true political motive, and what they were trying to say.
“For me, I am just an ordinary citizen trying to listen to their voices but it seems like they don’t respect it, they don’t respect people who want to listen to their voices.
“They are more keen to play their antics, games, and get media coverage,” he said.
Shahelmey also clarified that the Sabah water department which is under the jurisdiction of his ministry has been trying its best to ensure stable water supply throughout the space, particularly in the Sepanggar area where the UMS campus is.
He added that the water supply in the Sepanggar area has been disrupted due to the constant problem of water theft from squatter settlements nearby.
Meanwhile, the group’s coordinator Mohammad Norhamdin Nordin denied that their action was politically motivated, saying that they only wanted to put an end to water supply problems in Sabah.
“Just look at us, we are all only students and public members here, we are not politicians,” he said.
Norhamdin said the memorandum’s demands include stable water supply throughout Sabah, federal government’s intervention to assist the state government in the matter, for the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission to scrutinise the Sabah government and UMS, as well as to solve leakages and eliminate bureaucracy.
Norhamdin also claimed water disruption problems in UMS have persisted despite promises to resolve the matter.
As of press time this evening, the students are still protesting outside the state administrative centre. – June 14, 2024.