Recently, a serious issue about a water shortage crisis that’s affecting college students in Malaysia has raised many eyebrows among netizens.
Obviously, water is essential for life. We need it to drink, bathe, cook, and stay hydrated. Balqis, @BalqisFazamy_ took to her Twitter and shared her sister’s story, Bell facing water shortage in her college. The tweet blew up, racking up 2.2M views and 14.7K likes.
The student addressed the issue to their lecturer and asked if they could consider online classes due to the current situation at their college. They explained that there had been no water supply since the previous Friday, making it challenging for them to find water for bathing.
Bell explained to WORLD OF BUZZ that the recent water shortage crisis started on 2nd May 2023.
“A much worse situation happened in January 2023 when it was almost 2 weeks which students had to survive without water supply at all”, she added.
Bell also told WORLD OF BUZZ
“The issue affected all college students in my area, which sums up to more or less 3k students. We of course resorted to look for water supplies at other nearby facilities which the nearest is 550 metres away, which also eventually lost its water supply. The same goes to another nearest facility that is 440 metres away, and even the mosque which is 850 metres away.”
As the water shortage crisis continued to worsen, students began taking matters into their own hands. They resorted to showering and cleaning themselves at various facilities, such as the faculty and chancellor hall. However, this solution did not lasts, the water supply in these locations eventually weakened or disappeared altogether.
Unfortunately, the university was not the only area facing this issue. Bell had heard from locals that nearby areas at Kota Kinabalu, Tawau, Sandakan, Kinarut, Papar and Kudat were also grappling with water shortage.
“We have been experiencing water shortages since October 2022. The administration has promised to fix the problem, but nothing has been done. Students have had to resort to bringing their own water, which is not enough for basic hygiene needs. Some students have even had to leave campus to find water, which is a major inconvenience and expense. We deserve to be compensated for the water we have not received.”
Students are frustrated with the recurring issue of water shortage that has been ongoing for an extended period. They are disappointed with the lack of sympathy or empathy shown by the higher-ups, who have not provided any compensation, help, or solution to alleviate the situation. Students feel that the least that can be done is to understand their predicament and allow online classes so that they are not forced to live in such a distressing situation.
Bell represents thousands of students and expresses their frustration with the recurring water shortage issue that leaves the students feeling helpless and desperate for assistance.
“As water is a basic necessity, we hope for improvements, as our mental health has been severely impacted. We feel trapped and left with no choice, and we believe that our concerns are not being heard or addressed.”
To prevent this issue from happening again, she proposed the following six claims for the benefit of the students:
- The water crisis should not last longer than two days.
- Students should be given at least 12 hours’ notice before a water shortage occurs.
- The university should provide compensation to students, such as free meals, drinking water supply, and other essential items.
- The administration should be directly involved in addressing the water shortage issue.
- The university should keep students informed about the solutions discussed to address the issue.
- If students have to leave the campus or university area to search for water supply, the university should bear the expenses, including transportation costs.
You can watch the video below.
Mmg takde air langsung! Weh kesian budak2. Dah buat report tp tk jalan. Dah lah bayar yuran mahal wehhh bg lah budak2 tu balik aduyai pic.twitter.com/ZgzAxQckzw
— Qiqis ? (@BalqisFazamy_) May 10, 2023
The water shortage crisis affecting college students in Malaysia is a serious issue that needs urgent attention. Let us all hope that the situation improves soon and that the students receive the support they need to continue their studies without any further disruptions.
Also read: Student Files Lawsuit Against Former English Teacher Who Skipped Classes For 7 Months
