THE Penang government welcomes the recent announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that the state will receive an ample water supply from the Perak government through the Kerian Integrated Green Industrial Park (KIGIP).
On July 2, Anwar informed the Dewan Rakyat that raw water from the Perak River will be channelled to the Bukit Merah Dam, partly to support the KIGIP project. This initiative is expected to provide 1,500 million litres of water per day (MLD) to northern Perak and Penang, benefitting residents of both states.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow described the announcement as good news for the state.
“This demonstrates that the responsible parties from both sides have facilitated the process for the Penang-Perak water deal.
“However, the deal is still in its early stages, and many aspects need further discussions, such as the exact amount of MLD that Penang will receive, the cost of treated water, and other technical details.
“While most of the water will go to Perak, if Penang can secure more than 700 MLD, it should be sufficient to meet the needs of residents in the south Seberang Perai district.
“We are still negotiating the exact amount that Penang should receive.
“Nonetheless, the Prime Minister’s announcement of 1,500 MLD for both states is a positive development for the Penang-Perak water deal,” Chow told reporters at Bandar Tasek Mutiara in Sungai Bakap today.
Chow was attending an engagement session with the local Indian community. During the one-hour session, various issues were raised and addressed by Chow, including the water issue in Sungai Bakap, water infrastructure projects, and other local concerns.
Also present at the session were Chow’s senior confidential secretary Mohd Balkish Othman, Sungai Puyu assemblyman Phee Syn Tze, Komtar assemblyman Teh Lai Heng, Machang Bubok assemblyman Lee Khai Loon, Bukit Tengah assemblyman Gooi Hsiao-Leung, National Water Services Commission (SPAN) chairman Charles Santiago, and Penang PKR chairman Nurul Izzah Anwar.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi
Video by Siti Nuratikah Rahmat