Kuching: Another water pipeline burst on Wednesday, caused by KUTS-related construction works, has once again placed residents and businesses in Tabuan Jaya, Stutong, and the Jalan Song area in difficulty, leaving many without water supply for more than 20 hours.
Incidents such as this should be avoidable with proper planning, coordination, and execution of construction works. KUTS contractors and Sarawak Water Sdn Bhd must bear full responsibility for this recurring issue and seriously consider compensating affected residential areas as well as surrounding businesses for the inconvenience and losses suffered.
Let me be clear,I am not objecting to development projects or public transportation improvements such as the KUTS project. Development is important for the future growth of Kuching and Sarawak. However, development must be carried out responsibly, with proper planning and safeguards in place to minimise disruptions to the daily lives of the people.
This is not the first such incident, and unfortunately, I believe it may not be the last if no serious preventive measures are implemented. Sarawak Water and KUTS should already have a proper contingency plan in place for incidents like water pipe bursts. The priority during such situations must be to ensure that affected residents continue to have access to water supply as quickly as possible.
My office has followed up with the relevant Sarawak Water officers regarding areas requiring immediate attention and has requested for water tankers to be mobilised to severely affected locations such as Jalan Bayor Bukit and Tabuan Desa.
However, I understand that Sarawak Water (Southern Region) currently only has three functioning water tankers, which is clearly insufficient to handle major incidents like this. As a result, many residents were forced to wait for hours before receiving access to water supply.
These recurring incidents not only cause major inconvenience to residents but also severely disrupt business operations. Businesses that rely heavily on water supply, including restaurants, coffee shops, hawkers, saloons, and car wash operators, are forced to temporarily halt operations due to the prolonged water disruption.
The responsible parties, namely Sarawak Metro, KUTS contractors and Sarawak Water, should work on a proper mechanism to compensate affected residents and businesses for the losses suffered during these repeated water supply disruptions.
At the same time, stronger preventive measures, better coordination between agencies, and a more effective emergency response system must be put in place to prevent such incidents from becoming a recurring norm for the people of Kuching.
Dr. Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen
MP Bandar Kuching
DAP Sarawak Publicity Secretary
7 May 2026
