Penang: The Penang government will table a bill on raw water resource management at the upcoming State Legislative Assembly sitting scheduled for this month, said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow. He stated that the bill will lay the groundwork for a new water management enactment intended to enhance governance and regulatory control over raw water resources in the state.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the enactment will establish a board with comprehensive authority, including enforcement powers, the ability to issue licences and permits, and the approval of applications related to water abstraction activities under specified conditions. Currently, the Penang Water Regulatory Division (BKSA) carries out limited functions concerning raw water management and lacks enforcement or prosecutorial powers.
Chow emphasized the necessity of a dedicated enactment for raw water management. The proposed board will assume BKSA’s responsibilities and be legally empowered to address violations under the new enactment. Speaking at the World Water Day celebration at the Air Itam Dam, he highlighted the expectation that the board will ensure a more sustainable, efficient, and legally grounded raw water management system for Penang’s future.
State Infrastructure, Transport and Digital Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari previously announced that the Penang state executive council had approved the proposal to upgrade BKSA to the Penang Water Resources Board in principle on September 25, 2024.
In related developments, Chow mentioned that the state government is awaiting a letter from the Perak government to initiate negotiations on the Perak-Penang Water Project. A joint venture company between the Perak State Development Corporation and GAMUDA has been formed to execute the project on the Perak side.
Chow explained that negotiations with Perak on the tariff, volume of water to be channeled to Penang, terms, duration of the concession, and other related matters are pending the receipt of the letter. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim stated on March 14 that planning for the project to channel raw water from Sungai Perak to the Bukit Merah Dam, which partly supports the Kerian Integrated Green Industrial Park and supplies treated water to Penang, is in its final stages.