Kelantan Folks Complain that Their Water Looks Like Triple Shot Macchiato Caramel Cappuccinos

While you stop by for a short holiday in Kelantan, you may want to try their famous ayam percik or nasi dagang but inadvertently drink some ‘coffee’ that is actually just murky water instead. Kelantan has long faced water woes, with many residents complaining of a lack of clean water supplies.

According to Datuk Husam Musa, chairman of the non-governmental organisation Save Kelantan, the state’s water problems allegedly began in the 90s when the state government privatised its water supply to Kelantan Air Sdn Bhd (AKSB).

Environment and Water minister Dato' Sri Tuan Ibrahim bin Tuan Man has also previously said that only 71.7% of the 1.7 million people residing in the state have clean water supplies.

Back in May, he also announced the construction of a water reservoir project worth RM1.3 billion, known as the ‘Takungan Air Pinggiran Sungai (TAPS)’ to resolve the water issues. However, the project is expected to begin only this year and will take two to three years to complete.

In the meantime, the people of Kelantan have taken to social media to complain about their water supply and the images and videos have shocked Malaysians.

A Twitter user kicked off the discussion recently when he posted disturbing images of his free flow ‘latte coffee’ with extra slime on top, adding that as he could not get clean water from the government, he had to dig the underground to get his own water supply. There was also an image of his diseased foot, presumably as a result from drinking the contaminated water.

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Although many of us have the luxury of using water dispensers from brands such as Coway and Cuckoo, he added that he had to purchase water from water vending machines, and that only God knows what type of quality of water is dispensed from the machine, which presumably go uncleaned for long stretches of time.

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He faced the laborious task of heading to the machines to buy water every single day, and also raised concerns for older folk who would find the process difficult.

Another user advised him to purchase a water filter if he could afford it, but another chimed in that according to her friend who works at Coway, the service was unavailable in Kelantan due to their poor water quality. Imagine having water so dirty that the experts can’t help!

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Someone shared a video of the water in their bathroom which was disgustingly brown, sarcastically saying that when they brushed their teeth, they tasted a ‘Triple Shot Macchiato Caramel Cappuccino’ instead. Gross!

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Apparently this is the norm in Kelantan, because one user said that after living there for four years, her white clothes had turned browned, her hair was damaged, she felt itchy all over her body, and she had to buy mineral water every fortnight.

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Another Twitter user chimed in with their thoughts saying that the leaders of the state were unaffected by the water issues even though those in need and the senior citizens had to drink contaminated water. They also added that it was as if even though the citizens were shouting at the top of their lungs, but no one was doing anything about it.

Our hearts really go out for the people of Kelantan. We really hope you guys get clean water supplies soon!

Image source: @artfishstudio