PENANG Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has been urged to place the issue of reliable water supply and security as the main impetus for his administration in the new year.
State Warisan chairman Jeff Ooi Chuan Aun, who is a former Jelutong MP, said that the problems sparked by a burst pipe, which occurred not once but twice, shows why Chow needs to place water as a top priority.
The state has been over-emphasising on mega reclamation and the light rail system (LRT) projects when the focus should be more on the Penang Water Supply Corporation Sdn Bhd (PBAPP) which is responsible for treating and supplying raw water to everyone, said Ooi in an interview.
Commenting on the rash of water disruptions in the state following the two underground pipe bursts at Sg Prai in Butterworth, which caused supply disruptions to linger on at several places, Ooi said that PBAPP needs to reinvest on its infrastructure.
"The wear-and-tear in the piping system is holding the water supplier hostage," he said.
Penang has the country's oldest water authority. PBAPP has also been adjudged to be the best water concessionaire due to its non-revenue water rates and as it has among the lowest water charges in the country.
This may change overnight if PBAPP does not improve its performance, especially in dealing with mega water cuts, Ooi stressed.
He also pointed to the upcoming major upgrading exercise, which would see homes without water for between 24 hours and 96 hours, affecting 80% of the state's consumers next month.
Ooi said that PBAPP needs to ensure that it can restore supply faster in view of the needs of critical economic sectors, especially manufacturing and tourism.
Offer rebates due to cuts
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) vice-president Datuk K Koris Atan said that Penang has the best water services around but more needs to be done in view of the surge in demand for water, especially with global warming taking place now.
He said that in view of the rampant water cuts, PBAPP may need to offer rebates to those who use less water as an incentive to spur conservation and savings.
The rebates can be introduced in view of the recent water disruptions due to the pipe bursts, he added.
Meanwhile, former Batu Uban assemblyman S. Raveentharan said that PBAPP should be made to report to a special state legislative assembly committee to ensure that it has the means to meet the demands of the future.
Such a committee of elected representatives is needed to keep PBAPP alert at all times.
Since there are many capital expenditures involved in its operations, PBAPP should be scrutinised independently instead of just leaving it to its board to dictate water policy.
"There may be a conflict of interest as the chief minister is also the PBAPP board chairman. A neutral body should be set up to audit its services," he said.
Raveentharan also urged PBAPP to take the lead in water conservation and savings campaign, which could feature rainwater harvesting and underground extraction of water.
"We are surrounded by water. We have a sound water resource policy, yet we are experiencing water cuts quite frequently. We must respond to this," he said.
Chow was at the PBAPP control room last night to gain the latest updates on the effort to restore water supply to normalcy.
By this morning more than 80% of the consumers had seen supply restored after the main underground pipe in Sg Prai burst twice earlier this week. – The Vibes, December 23, 2023
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