NRECC committed to solving water woes in Kelantan

KUALA LUMPUR – The Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry (NRECC) will look at financial matters for constructing water treatment plants and pipe replacement to solve water woes in Kelantan.

Its minister, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, said it was a follow-up to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement, which openly expressed the federal government’s commitment to solving the water issue.

“NRECC will also hold follow-up discussions with the Finance Ministry and the Economy Ministry to find the best solution together,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

That statement followed his meeting with Kelantan Public Works, Infrastructure, Transport and Utility Committee chairman Datuk Azami Mohd Nor and the top management of Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd (AKSB), to discuss the issue.

Also present at the meeting were NRECC deputy secretary-general (Water and Sewerage) Ching Thoo Kim, National Water Services Commission chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Faizal Abdul Rahman and ministry officials.

According to Nik Nazmi, the issues discussed during the meeting included the construction of the Machang reservoir or known as Takungan Air Pinggiran Sungai (TAPS) approved by the federal government under the Third Rolling Plan of the 12th Malaysia Plan and the proposed development of water supply infrastructure for TAPS, which will be built.

“In addition, matters related to the implementation of the non-revenue water reduction programme through the replacement of obsolete pipes and the write-off of rural water supply project loans, in line with the Kelantan State Water Service Industry Restructuring Agreement, were also discussed,” he said.

The discussion also involved reserving land for the sewerage plant to the federal lands commissioner and writing off the balance of the sewerage project loan and turning it into a grant, he added.

In the meeting, he also reminded the state government that without efforts to improve AKSB’s governance, the water problem would not be resolved.

On May 11, Nik Nazmi revealed that AKSB’s governance method was the main factor in the water problem in Kelantan not being resolved apart from the issue of allocation, and the matter was acknowledged by the former environment and water minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man. – Bernama, May 25, 2023