My sister is an undergraduate at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (Labuan Campus).

Since the day she moved into small apartment-like lodgings in Labuan in July 2009, she has been living a tormented life without any water supply.

My classmates who went to UMS told me that they lived in this horrible conditions for three years.

The water would come once a day either in the morning. My sister had to wake up extremely early - not for classes - but to fill buckets and buckets of water so that she can do her washing and if possible bathe at night.

Besides that, she had to carry these heavy buckets of water two floors up to where her room is.

When I sent my sister to UMS, the deputy vice chancellor promised the parents and family members present at the briefing that UMS will do their best to take care of the students.

I don't think the lack of water constitutes taking care of the students. How are the students expected to perform well in studies when their basic needs are not met?

No wonder able families send their children overseas to study. I hope this is not the direction our public universities are heading to.