Sabah's water woes will be solved in a few years, says CM

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's water woes will be solved in two to five years, says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

He said steps were already in place to address the long-standing problem, in line with the commitment to solving Sabah's water and electricity supply issues and to improve the quality of life in the state.

As a responsible government, he said it was vital that Sabah make meticulous plans to address issues that affect the people and to keep tabs on ongoing projects so they are completed according to specifications and on schedule.

He also said the Telibong II water treatment plant in Tamparuli was in the last stages of upgrading works and is expected to be fully operational early next year.

This project, once completed, would add 80 million litres per day of water for consumers in Kota Kinabalu and Tuaran.

"This is among the additional plants planned to tackle water supply problems in Sabah. The others include one on Kogopon, Papar," said Hajiji Hajiji at the Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah annual meeting for the Sulaman Division on Sunday (Oct 1).

He said the RM380mil Kogopon water treatment plant would increase water supply capacity from 40 million litres per day to 80 million litres per day is under construction and expected to be ready by 2026.

He said an additional RM320mil was recently allocated by the Federal Government to provide short-term solutions to the state's water woes.

Hajiji said among the measures taken to generate power is through building a hydroelectric power plant and dam in Ulu Padas, Tenom.

He said work on these projects is expected to start soon, officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.