Forced to get their own water supply for 20 years

Suraya showing the boring system at the house.

KOTA BARU: She spent almost RM3,000 to instal water grids in the hope of getting access to clean and treated water as promised by the state government, but they worked for only about two years.

After all the effort, Suraya Anwar, 58, ended up going back to using underground water and continued to use it for some 20 years.

“At first, we were happy to have piped water supply at home, but after a while it got less and less. Eventually, we stopped depending on it,” she said when met at her home in Seribong, Pasir Tumboh.

One of many Kelantanese who are sick and tired of the water issue in the state, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

“How could I not? We need water for almost everything.

“I have been living here for 20 years. Before this, we lived in Taman Guru, Pintu Geng – the water was murky and left permanent stains on my children’s school uniforms.

“That was what made us move to our own house (in Seribong) where we installed ‘filters’ and used underground water,” she said.

Another Kelantantese known only as Farid, 35, could not hide his disappointment at the state government’s failure to solve the issue despite PAS leaders being part of the Federal Government.

“This will definitely be one of the things that the people will consider before casting their votes. Personally, it seems as if the PAS government is uncaring.

“When Pakatan Harapan ruled the Federal Government, we wanted them to pay us oil royalties and solve our water woes, not change ministers’ official cars,” he said cynically.

While most Kelantanese could depend on underground water, Farid said there were some, however, who struggled, especially those living near beaches.

“These friends have to depend on supply from Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd (AKSB), which is slow and murky,” he said, adding that his family had been using underground water for 20 years.

It is daily misery for a 31-year-old restaurant owner who had to wait for the rusty water to clear up before using it for cooking when she was living in Machang.

Wishing to remain anonymous, the woman said she had moved out of the village in Pondok Hidayah, Batu 30 Machang, a few months ago.

“But I feel the frustrations of the Machang community, including my family and close friends there, having to continue to experience water woes. The people get their water from wells only because there’s no supply from AKSB,” she said.