JKR responsible for monitoring and inspecting damaged roads in towns and cities

20 February 2025

KOTA KINABALU: The Public Works Department (JKR) should take responsibility for regular and thorough monitoring and inspection of damaged roads, whether in major cities or smaller towns. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor stressed that the department should not wait for an accident to occur before taking action in a frantic manner.

He expressed deep sadness over a recent incident where a road user (a motorcyclist) lost his life due to a pothole that had been left unattended in the Kota Kinabalu area.

“While issues of life and death are determined by fate, the state of these damaged roads—regardless of their location, whether in large cities or small towns—means that JKR should be diligent in conducting regular and systematic monitoring or inspections.

“One should not wait until there are complaints or directives before taking action! We live in an age where everything is just a click away. A slight mistake and someone will inevitably go viral, blaming the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government and the Chief Minister.

“What gets noticed and critiqued is not just the relevant ministries or departments but the government and the Chief Minister,” he stated during the Chief Minister’s New Year 2025 address to public servants at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) on Thursday.

Hajiji further commented on issues surrounding water supply, electricity, and illegal squatting by undocumented immigrants and various other matters affecting the public, which could be addressed efficiently and swiftly if proper action and responsibility were taken.

Regarding the water supply issue, he noted that this problem stemmed from previous administrations that failed to comprehend the challenges of supply and distribution. As a result, drastic restructuring within the department has occurred, leading to the reassignment of experienced personnel and replacement of existing contractors.

“The consequence is that we now experience intermittent water supply, not to mention instances where water is available but salty. All of this arises from inefficient management of water supply, compounded by rampant theft of water resources, leading to a staggering 60% of our clean water supply being lost to such actions.

“60% non-revenue water (NRW) is not a small issue. More than half of our clean water is being lost. It is the responsibility of the Water Department to identify where and how these losses are occurring.

“I have been informed that this 60% NRW has now successfully decreased after identifying several areas with illegal connections, and by terminating those connections to illegal settlements. My question is, what guarantees are there that the residents of these illegal settlements will not reconnect to the water supply?” he said.

He added that the ministries and departments involved should act swiftly to clarify to the public what the actual issues are that they are currently facing.

He cited the example of the project to improve the Telibong 2 Water Treatment Plant, which has been completed, yet water supply remains insufficient due to ongoing construction of new pipes that will transport water from tankers to Sepanggar and around Kota Kinabalu, which is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

According to him, for the water supply to residents in the Putatan area, Jetama is currently constructing an Urgent Water Supply Scheme, a new plant with a capacity of 5 million litres per day (MLD). This project is anticipated to be completed in May and will provide an additional 5 million litres per day specifically for the Putatan area.

He mentioned that the Kogopon 2 Water Treatment Plant project in Papar, currently under construction, is expected to be fully operational next year, which will enhance treated water capacity for both Papar and Putatan.

Hajiji stated that to ensure a consistent long-term water supply, the State Government is collaborating with the Federal Government to construct the Ulu Padas Hydro-Electric Dam in Tenom, set to be completed by 2029.

“This mega project will serve as a source of raw water supply, particularly to several key districts in Sabah. This project will also extend electricity supply by connecting the southern and southeastern regions of Sabah, thereby creating a more stable energy network,” he asserted.