KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is considering privatising the Sabah Water Department to resolve water shortages in the state, said Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.
Masidi said he had discussed the matter with State Public Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya.
"It is high time to talk about water, the infrastructure, roads and electricity. In some cases, when we cannot control the basic infrastructure and projects, the government is bad-mouthed and is made fun of.
"We talk about billions (of ringgit projects) of this and that, but we never talk about the road, the water supply, or the electricity," he told reporters after launching the Government Accountability Index System here.
Masidi said privatisation had its pros and cons, and there were several issues that need to be addressed before the government could make a decision.
"These include determining the roles of Sabah Water Department officers and examining the various laws and regulations governing the water service," he said.
Masidi said the Sabah Water Department, which is under the purview of the Sabah Public Works Ministry, had been criticised over the water supply disruptions in the state.
In Sandakan, residents have resorted to consuming brackish water, while others are burdened with purchasing more expensive bottled water to cope with the shortages.
According to a news report, Sabah's non-revenue water was above 50 per cent between 2018 and this year.
On Tuesday, Shahelmey said the shortage of manpower had contributed to the inefficient services provided by the Water Department and other agencies under his ministry.