Sabah's all dried up

State minister for tourism, culture and environment Masidi Manjun has already expressed the state government's concern over the worsening drought, rivers drying up and water supplies running low.

Rivers in Keningau, Sook and Nabawan are drying up, according to Masidi's ministry.

The Pangi Hydroelectric station has to be shut down at night, as there is insufficient water to power it, resulting in power cuts.

Right now, there are widespread fires along the west coast in the Klias Peninsula, Beaufort, Membakut and Sipitang.

Letting the stricken forests burn themselves out is another desperate measure being considered under the prevailing situation.

The WorldWide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia worries that there are not enough unaffected forests to act as re-colonising agents for burnt out forests.

"Unlike in forests in seasonal and drought-prone regions of the world, all of Sabah's plants, animals and micro-organisms die if the forests are burnt," says WWF Malaysia senior technical advisor John Payne.

Meanwhile, the federal government has kept mum on the state's predicament. There is no sign of the National Disaster Committee swinging into action.

State-wide shortages

  Labuan is also having water woes, making do with 42 million litres of water daily when it needs between 56 and 60 million.

In Semporna, cholera has broken out due to desperate villagers turning to the sea both for water and to relieve themselves.

The district health departments has issued warnings against consuming seafood from the area.

Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman has urged the state water department to begin water rationing in acute water shortage areas.

State water department director Awang Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib has, however, assured the public that the water supply will be stable for April or even until early May.

He clarified that there was no immediate need for water rationing except for ongoing rationing in those areas where water shortages normally occurred and in some low water pressure areas.