Syndicate may be involved: Peter
Published on: Tuesday, June 25, 2019
By: Ricardo Unto
KOTA KINABALU: The State Infrastructure Development Ministry does not disregard the possibility of a syndicate being involved in the rampant vandalism of Water Department equipment recently.
Its Minister Datuk Peter Anthony said the matter is serious as it not only affected the people but also the reputation of the Department.
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He said this after inspecting a water pump house at Taman Putera Jaya, Telipok, near here, Monday.
The inspection was made following water disruption complaints which affected nearly 8,000 residents for about a week.
“This is due to vandalism and we noted three recent cases – in Karambunai, Taman Flamingo and Taman Putera Jaya.
“It is as if there is a syndicate to sabotage the Water Department’s equipment and we have made a police report.”
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He also urged residents staying near any of the department’s facilities to inform the authorities if they noticed any suspicious activities.
“The Ministry will also seek help from the relevant authorities to tackle this issue.
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“Some of the water pumps and cables had been tampered with as well as stolen...this would cause a big problem for everyone. These stolen equipment might have been sold as spare parts,” he said.
To this end, he had asked the Water Department to beef up security around its facilities.
The residents also claimed that the department’s careline had been inefficient in handling their problems.
Peter said he would probe into the matter and “action will be taken on officers who did not do their work, if any.”
“The department should ensure that the line is functioning 24 hours...but consumers can also forward their problems to their respective people’s representative.”
He also disclosed that the department is in the midst of improvement and restructuring.
“All the previously outsourced equipment had been taken over by the Water Department. We are also improving the current system,” he said.
Peter had also instructed the department to set up water storages in residential areas to be used during emergency situations.
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