MUAR – The Perak government’s decision not to continue supplying raw water to Penang was made under the state’s jurisdiction, said Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.
The environment and water minister said this was because the administration of water resources were under the respective state governments, and Perak had provided an explanation on the decision.
“Perak has to prioritise the state’s needs as it will have a population of three million by 2035,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after campaigning for the Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate contesting for the Simpang Jeram seat in the Johor polls last night.
He said negotiations had been conducted and the Perak government said it needed a big water treatment plant in the northern part of the state.
A meeting between Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad and Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow was held to discuss water supply sources.
Tuan Ibrahim said Penang had the biggest water storage reserve in Malaysia with a 30% reserve margin, compared with other states.
At the same time, Tuan Ibrahim said Penang could implement other alternatives, including finding new underground water sources.
Yesterday, Perak said that it was unable to supply raw water from Sg Perak to Penang as proposed under the Sg Perak Raw Water Transfer Scheme as studies indicated that the state did not have enough water for its own use. – Bernama, March 4, 2022
