PENANG Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow extends heartfelt gratitude to water supply operators from nine states for their crucial assistance during the recent Sungai Perai incident.
These operators deployed 15 water tankers to Penang, aiding affected areas in the southwest district.
Despite most consumers regaining water after successful repairs, certain areas, like the end-of-line and higher ground areas, continued to face challenges.
“During the Sungai Perai incident, a 1.35m section of pipe laid across the bottom of Sungai Perai burst on Dec 18, resulting in the disruption of water supply to areas like Butterworth, Ampang Jajar, Sungai Dua, various locations in the northeast district, and the entire southwest district of Penang.
“While most consumers had their water supply restored following successful repairs, certain areas, including the end-of-line (EoL) and higher ground areas in Penang Island’s southwest district, continued to face challenges.
“We are grateful for the assistance during that period. We received crucial support from water supply operators who deployed their water tankers to the affected areas, aiding in mitigating the impact as we waited for the water supply to normalise,” Chow told Buletin Mutiara during a simple ceremony in front of City Hall today.
He appreciated the support from water supply operators across Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Perak, Kelantan, Pahang, Johor, Terengganu, and Kedah.
Special acknowledgment goes to the Penang Island City Council (MBPP), Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP), and the voluntary fire brigade (PBS) for their contributions.
Chow also emphasised the importance of cooperation during water cuts.
He thanked the water tanker teams before they returned to their respective states, highlighting the significance of water storage for residents during scheduled cuts.
Chow urged elected representatives to collaborate with stakeholders in preparing water supply through tankers and alternative methods for their constituents.
The decision to request water tankers during the upcoming scheduled water cut from Jan 10 to Jan 14 will be based on the situation, to be determined later by the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) and National Water Services Commission (SPAN).
Also present were Deputy Chief Minister I Prof Datuk Dr Mohamad Abdul Hamid, Deputy Chief Minister II Jagdeep Singh Deo, state Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai, PBAPP chief executive officer K. Pathmanathan and SPAN representative Azrol Noodin.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Muhamad Amir Irsyad Omar
Video by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis