KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has asked Sabahans to be patient over the state's water and electricity supply issues, saying that the government was doing its best to effectively address these problems.
The Chief Minister also told critics not to blow the matter out of proportion.
"The water and electricity problems are legacy issues that the current state government is taking urgent measures to resolve," he said in a statement here on Friday (May 19).
"I hope the rakyat will understand and I call upon detractors not to politicise the matter.
"This morning, I called up Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) chief executive officer Mohd Yaakob Jaafar to brief me on the immediate and next measures SESB is taking to deal with the power supply outage, which has burdened many people," he added.
Also at the meeting were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya, who is also Sabah Works Minister, state secretary Datuk Seri Safar Untong and Sabah Energy Commission (Ecos) chief executive officer Datuk Abdul Nasser Abdul Wahid.
Hajiji also said he had instructed Safar to take drastic action to rectify the administration of the state water management.
According to the Hajiji, the state government was not only taking steps to resolve the water and electricity supply but also moving forward to creating contingency plans.
"We are serious in our efforts to attract investors to Sabah and both these amenities are crucial for investors," he said.
The state, he added, has attracted high-impact investors such as SK Nexilis, Kibing solar glass manufacturer, Linaco and Esteel, to locate their projects here.
"The state has put in place action plans to rectify these issues and with the Prime Minister's assurance and commitment to assist Sabah, I am confident there will be solutions in sight," Hajiji said.
The Sabah government has sought for funds from the Federal Government to resolve its water woes while utility company SESB has blamed technical problems with high-voltage lines that triggered trips at its power stations.
On Tuesday and Wednesday (May 16, 17), consumers in Sabah and Labuan had to endure hours-long blackouts.
The water supply issue has become more serious over the past seven months, with complaints about unscheduled water cuts, low water pressure as well as non-supply on a daily basis.
Opposition politicians have been critical of the issues, saying the state administration should have taken measures to resolve these long-standing issues.
