SANDAKAN: Long-standing water supply problems in Bandar Leila, Karamunting, remain unresolved, with residents continuing to face repeated water cuts and low water pressure that disrupt daily life.
Karamunting Assemblyman, Alex Wong said he had stepped in to coordinate emergency assistance after receiving fresh complaints from residents, arranging for two water tankers to be deployed to the area to provide temporary water supply.
Wong said supply disruptions and low pressure have become a recurring issue in Bandar Leila, forcing residents to constantly adjust their daily routines due to unreliable access to water. He added that his service centre has been receiving complaints almost every day, prompting ongoing efforts to arrange emergency water deliveries.
He said the use of water tankers was only a temporary measure and did not address the root cause of the problem.
“This issue has been ongoing for years. Water tankers can only provide short-term relief and cannot solve the problem permanently,” he said.
Wong said the current arrangement was necessary to ensure residents were not completely cut off from water, but stressed that it should not be treated as a long-term solution.
Bandar Leila, he said, is a mature residential and commercial area and not a remote or underdeveloped settlement, and residents should be entitled to a stable and reliable water supply as a basic public service.
“Residents here pay taxes and water bills. They operate businesses and they have families. It is not right for them to depend on water tankers for their daily needs,” he said.
Wong attributed the prolonged water supply issues to structural weaknesses within the system, including ageing pipelines, water source allocation, pressure management and overall infrastructure planning.
He said he has repeatedly raised the matter with the Water Department and will continue to press the authorities to address the issue beyond short-term measures.
“What is needed is a clear and comprehensive solution with a proper implementation timeline, not temporary arrangements that keep recurring,” he said.
Wong also called on the relevant agencies to take basic public needs more seriously and to keep residents informed of the progress made in resolving the issue.
“Water is a basic necessity. If a reliable supply cannot be ensured after years of development, then the problem must be addressed properly,” he said.
He said he would continue to follow up on the Bandar Leila water supply issue, assist with emergency water distribution in the short term, and push for practical and long-term solutions from the Water Department, while updating residents on any developments.
