KOTA KINABALU, Dec 9 — The creation of a Water Management Commission for Sabah is necessary to fulfil the state’s future water demands, said former State Water Department director Datuk Amarjit Singh.

Amarjit referred to the recent State Legislative Assembly sitting where many lawmakers when debating the Sabah Budget 2024, had suggested a new culture of sacking those who cannot do their job, following the consistent blackouts here due to power supply and water pressure issues.

He said the two notable agencies referred were Sabah Energy Sdn Bhd (SESB) and the State Water Department which already has a tainted image due to the infamous 2016 Watergate scandal, and to make matters worse, most of the officers implicated in the scandal are back managing the department.

"Despite the assurance given by State Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya that these officers are undergoing rehab courses on integrity, the public still doubts the qualities of these personnel.

"Even the chief minister has categorically stated that the water scandal is a serious issue and it shall be a lesson learned by all government agencies.

"However, is this only a rhetoric or political statement to sugar-coat the people? If the government is serious in curbing corruption and ensuring good governance, they should have formalised a Water Management Commission for a better monitoring of the state’s water resources and supply,” he said in a statement on Friday.

Amarjit explained that such a commission would be mainly tasked on planning proposals and projects concerning water resources and supply in the state, and that many countries in the world have adopted this method such as Australia, Britain and India.

He said among others, the commission would be entrusted in providing consultancy to the state government on water issues, including schemes for the control, conservation and utilisation of resources and supply throughout the state.

At present, he said any potential project proposed by the Water Department is carried out without any innovation and transformations which include cost benefit analysis, comparing other alternatives, need for major changes to cope with globalization, deregulation, sweeping social and political changes, and the technological revolution in products and services.

"The state government fondly focuses on traditional or transitional short-term or long-term measures whenever there are water chaos. As a matter of fact in today’s world, organisational and complex issues are solved using strategic management due to political, economic, socio-cultural and technological factors.

"Creating a Water Management Commission for Sabah can alleviate the burden of the state Water Department by focusing on the distribution of piped water and collection of long outstanding water bill payments, and it is necessary in Sabah to fulfil the water demands of the future generation,” he said. — Borneo Post Online