Call for bottled drinking water to be sold at Rahmah Sales in drought-hit areas
PAPAR: Residents visiting the Rahmah Sales Programme (PJR) in Papar and Kota Kinabalu are urging for bottled drinking water to be sold at the programme in areas affected by drought and water shortages.
Housewife Dayang Fatimah Saripuddin, 49, said that this step is crucial to assist less fortunate residents as they are forced to spend between RM80 to RM100 per week to purchase bottled drinking water for cooking and drinking purposes.
“It’s quite burdensome because my husband only works in a workshop, most of us here in Papar are not wealthy either, but we still have to buy (bottled drinking water) because the water supply is very limited,” she said when met by Bernama at the PJR at the Tamu Mingguan Papar site.
She said that the PJR has proven effective in offering essential items at prices up to 30 per cent cheaper than the market, making it suitable for bottled drinking water to be included in the sales list as it is a primary necessity for residents in the area at this time.
On March 13, the District Disaster Management Department declared Papar, located approximately 38km from Kota Kinabalu, as a drought disaster area due to a critical water supply crisis caused by hot weather affecting the area.
Bernama on March 15 reported that consumer associations including the Consumer Front of Sabah (CFOS) and Persatuan Pengguna Bijaksana Pantai Barat Sabah urged traders and retailers not to raise the prices of bottled drinking water as it is a necessity for the people at this time.
Government retiree Herman Mokti, 64, said that the savings of up to 30 per cent that can be enjoyed if bottled drinking water is sold at PJR is significant when calculated from the large quantities purchased by residents every week.
“If you buy a carton for RM9 to RM12, saving RM2.70 to RM3.60 doesn’t seem like much, but for those of us who regularly buy cartons, if we usually spend RM80 a week, we can reduce it to RM56, that’s a significant saving,” he said when met at the same site.
In Kota Kinabalu, advertising company employee Andy Edik Empau, 29, said he had to buy bottled drinking water for his family’s cooking and drinking purposes because stored water and current water supplies were not very clean.
“The water supply is sometimes there and sometimes not. When there is supply, the water that comes out is not very clean and slow, so we can’t use it for cooking or drinking for fear of stomach problems or other diseases, meaning we have to buy bottled drinking water too.
“I really hope PJR sells it because it’s also a necessity,” he said.
Andy, who visited PJR at Lintas Jaya here, said his family had stored water in barrels for use when the water supply was cut off, but this water could be contaminated if stored for too long and was only suitable for bathing and washing purposes.
University student Emly Nadia Shamsul, 22, said besides the cheap prices, the PJR is also seen as effective in ensuring sufficient supply of essential items such as sugar and cooking oil to be distributed to residents, thus it is not impossible for bottled drinking water to be included.
“Now there is still a supply but this hot weather and drought will continue until next month so when bottled drinking water become increasingly sought after and less available, it’s difficult for people to get them, so it’s suitable to make early preparations for PJR to provide this supply,” she said when met at PJR Lintas Jaya.
Meanwhile, Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the proposal to sell bottled drinking water at PJR in areas affected by drought and water shortages was a good suggestion.
The Papar MP said they have no problem cooperating with any traders, wholesalers, or any party to sell bottled drinking water at PJR in the affected areas if the situation requires it.
“Most importantly, now we will first monitor the prices of bottled drinking water whether at shops, supermarkets, or anywhere else so that the prices do not skyrocket and burden our people. We will conduct investigations and take action against traders who set unreasonable prices.
“At the same time, we also ask consumers to report to us immediately if they encounter incidents of unreasonable price increases for bottled drinks. We understand the pulse of the people and will ensure that the people are not burdened,” he said.