Water to be sold to Penang only if Perak has surplus, says MB

 Perak menteri besar Saarani Mohamad hopes Putrajaya will consider request to fund water transfer project.

Menteri besar Saarani Mohamad hopes the proposed water transfer project from the Perak River to Bukit Merah Lake can take off next year. (PBA pic)

PETALING JAYA:

The Perak government will only consider selling treated water to Penang if there is a surplus in supply, menteri besar Saarani Mohamad said.

Commenting on the upcoming tabling of the 2027 budget, Saarani expressed hope the federal government will consider its request for an allocation to fund a water transfer project from the Perak River to Bukit Merah Lake.

He said he would like the project to be rolled out next year, Bernama reported.

He said the project aims to cater to the needs of the Kerian Integrated Green Industrial Park (KIGIP) and development in northern Perak, as well as address problems faced by farmers during the dry season.

“First, we will work towards realising this project, and only if there is surplus water will we consider selling treated water to Penang,” he was quoted as saying.

In July, Perak and Penang signed a conditional bulk water supply agreement which will guarantee sufficient water supply for Penang for 40 years from 2032.

Under the agreement, the Penang Water Supply Corporation will pay an annual capacity charge of RM210 million to support the initiative’s infrastructure development investments, in addition to a treated water charge of RM1.70 per cubic metre (1,000 litres), subject to review every three years.

The 2027 budget is scheduled to be tabled on Oct 9. - FMT