Sarawak student appeals to Abang Jo over Sabah varsity’s water woes

Muhammad Rasul Rozmiezan, 21, a second-year UMS sociology student from Kuching, Sarawak, says he wrote the letter to voice the concerns of Sarawakian students.

KOTA KINABALU: A viral open letter by a Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) student to Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has renewed attention to the university’s ongoing water supply woes.

Muhammad Rasul Rozmiezan, 21, a second-year sociology student from Kuching, Sarawak, said he wrote the letter to voice the concerns of Sarawakian students and push the issue to national attention.

“I understand the Premier’s limitations, but I believe he can help amplify our voices. What he does to help Sarawakians can also benefit Sabahans,” he said in the letter.

Rasul said students have gone without consistent water for days, with some resorting to cleaning themselves in faculty toilets, the mosque, or Chancellor Hall.

“Sometimes I had to bathe with bottled water or pay RM1 to shower at a shopping mall,” he said.

A student collects rainwater in a bucket from a dormitory balcony at UMS — a common practice due to inconsistent piped water supply on campus.

He added that the tube well system was murky and unsafe, and recalled having to search for water at 3am before final exams. “All residential colleges are affected,” he said.

So far, no one from the federal, Sabah or Sarawak governments has contacted him directly.

The letter has drawn mixed reactions online. While many praised Rasul’s courage, others called it embarrassing that Sabah needed Sarawak’s help, calling it a failure of basic infrastructure.

Sabah Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya said the government is working with the Water Department (JANS) and UMS to resolve the issue.

Students fill buckets from a communal outdoor pipe system at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) amid ongoing water supply disruptions.

“I was disappointed when I read the letter online. But I’ve visited the site to ensure the issue is being addressed,” he said.

He said water inflow into UMS’s main reservoir, R13, had stabilised over the past two days, but a faulty indicator had caused inaccurate readings, adding that JANS will replace it within three weeks.

“Hourly and daily updates will be given to UMS to help them manage pumping schedules,” he said, adding that both campus pumps are now functioning.

Shahelmey said JANS and UMS had held several meetings and agreed on measures to improve water volume and coordination.

R13 holds 10 million litres, while two other tanks at UMS store 6.75 and 3.5 million litres respectively.

Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said the current supply from JANS remains inconsistent, and the tube well system cannot meet UMS’s daily demand of five million litres.

“I’ve appealed to the Chief Minister to give UMS priority in the water distribution schedule,” he said.