KOTA KINABALU: Over 100 villagers queued with buckets and containers when a water tanker arrived at Kampung Meruntum, bringing much-needed relief after a month-long water disruption affecting several areas in Putatan district.
The delivery, organised by Sabah Perikatan Nasional Youth executive committee member Kanny Chew Ly Choi @ Adamz, was a temporary measure to help area residents.
“People are desperate. Some have had to buy bottled water or pay for private tanker deliveries just to get by,” he said on Wednesday (July 23).
He urged the Sabah Water Department to take urgent action before the situation worsens.
The disruption, which began over a month ago, has affected about 25,000 people in the district.
Apart from Kampung Meruntum, other affected areas are Kampung Lok Kawi, Kampung Pasir Putih, Kampung Petagas, Kampung Ketiau and Kampung Muhibbah.
Chew said the water tanker was a stopgap measure, not a long-term solution.
“We are helping in whatever way we can on the ground, but this issue needs serious attention and immediate action from the authorities.
"It is not sustainable for people to live like this,” he said in a statement.
He also called on the department to implement both short- and long-term measures to restore a consistent supply and ensure that residents are not affected by similar problems in the future.
“This should not be happening. The government must act now – the people deserve better,” he said.
