Perak ready to discuss selling treated water to Penang

 

Perak menteri besar Saarani Mohamad said the state previously rejected Penang’s request based on several studies.

IPOH: Perak menteri besar Saarani Mohamad has confirmed receiving an application from Penang to purchase treated water from the state.
Saarani said the letter to discuss the purchase from the Perak Water Board was received about two months ago.

He said the Perak board currently sells treated water to users around the Nibong Tebal area, which is located next to Parit Buntar.

“We are ready to hold discussions with them (Penang state government). Previously, they wanted to buy raw water from us but we were unable to fulfill the request.

“However, the sale of treated water will be subject to whether there is sufficient supply for our own use,” he said at a press conference here.

He had been asked about a statement by the MP for Jelutong, RSN Rayer, urging Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to intervene to allow negotiations for Penang to obtain raw water from Perak, particularly from the Perak river.

Rayer, speaking at the Dewan Rakyat sitting last week, had said the federal government and the two state governments should discuss the proposed water sale.

In March last year Saarani had said that the decision not to supply water to Penang also took into account several studies regarding the impact of water outflow from the Perak river on the performance of its dams to generate electricity as well as the use of the manufacturing sector. - FMT