LAHAD DATU: The opposition has called on the Sabah government to adopt a holistic approach in addressing infrastructure deficiencies in the state.
Parti Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said there were critical areas in the state that needed urgent attention, such as healthcare, education, road infrastructure and electricity supply.
Citing the water woes in Universiti Malaysia Sabah, the former chief minister said the problem did not just happen yesterday.
"We cannot blame any party, whether it's pipe leakages, theft or others. We cannot wait to resolve the situation until we catch the culprits, take action and then claim that the students lacked civility (for protesting).
"Why is this happening? They don't have water not just for drinking, but for bathing and washing as well — not for a day, a week or a month, but for a very long time.
"We can blame theft, but for factories around the university, there is water supply. Why do the factories have water, but the people do not?
"There needs to be a holistic approach to address this comprehensively," he told the media during the party's Jelajah programme here.
Shafie also pointed out issues of inadequate healthcare services in Sabah, where patients often had to wait for hours to get treatment besides a shortage of medical supplies.
He also highlighted the deteriorating condition of schools, where basic facilities like toilets and benches were often lacking.
As for foreign investments in Sabah, Shafie said that they should lead to technological transfers and local employment that benefited the local workforce, just like the United States computer chip manufacturing company Intel in Penang.
"We don't want investors to bring in 1,000 of their own workers while employing only 300 locals in low-tiered jobs.
"We need a structured approach to ensure our people gain the necessary skills and knowledge," he said.