KOTA KINABALU, Sept 2 — Sabah’s recurring water supply problems require urgent and practical solutions, but the push for faster action should not come at the expense of independent engineering judgement, said Datuk Amarjit Singh.
The former Sabah Water Department director said a clear distinction must be maintained between an engineering consultancy practice and a commercial service provider, particularly when companies supplying water infrastructure, equipment, or specialised technologies are also proposing solutions.
“The issue is not whether service providers have the technical capability to contribute. Many possess valuable operational experience, specialised technology, and the ability to deliver projects quickly. The issue is independence,” he said in a statement.
Amarjit said companies recommending technologies in which they have a commercial interest could face an inherent potential conflict, making independent assessment important.
He pointed out that under Malaysia’s engineering regulatory framework, an Engineering Consultancy Practice registered with the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) has a professional role in providing independent engineering advice, including feasibility assessments, design, and certification within its lawful scope.
“Employing a professional engineer does not by itself make a product manufacturer, operator, or service company an independent engineering consultancy practice,” he said.
Major water supply decisions, including desalination, water reuse, additional storage, leakage reduction, and watershed protection, should begin with an impartial assessment of available options, he said.
For advanced technologies such as desalination, feasibility studies should consider not only capital costs but also energy consumption, reliability, environmental impacts, waste management, maintenance, replacement costs, and whole-of-life expenditure.
“Consultants should provide independent professional advice and evaluate the available options; service providers should bring proven technologies, specialist knowledge, implementation capability and operational support,” he said.
Amarjit stressed he is not arguing against service providers, but calling for their expertise to complement independent engineering advice.
“The party selling or operating a solution should not be the sole party deciding that the same solution is the best one for the public,” he said.
He called for major water projects to undergo independent engineering assessment before commitments are made, saying this would strengthen procurement decisions and ensure Sabah’s resources are directed towards solutions that are technically sound, environmentally responsible, and financially sustainable.
“Sabah’s water future deserves decisions based on evidence rather than on the attractiveness of a packaged solution. Speed is important but so are transparency, accountability, and professional independence,” he said.
Amarjit added that his comments were intended to contribute to public discussion on infrastructure governance and water security and were not directed at or intended to allege wrongdoing by any particular company or organisation. — The Borneo Post
