CHIEF Minister Chow Kon Yeow has called out for the support of industry players to assist the state government and the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) in tackling water issues in the state.
One prolonged issue he was referring to was the commissioning of the Sungai Perak Raw Water Transfer Scheme (SPRWTS) project to reduce the dependence on raw water supply from Sungai Muda.
“The need for the project was identified in 2009, and despite having the study approved by several key parties in the past, we were not able to progress due to the failure of obtaining an agreement from the Perak government.
“The SPRWTS project is one of those projects that the Penang government and PBAPP have been shouldering for a very long time.
“I believe it’s time we leverage the voices of our industry players to help push to materialise this project,” Chow said in his speech during the Free Industrial Zone Penang Companies Associations (Frepenca) annual dialogue session and networking dinner at St Giles the Wembley Hotel in George Town today.
On the same matter, PBAPP chief executive officer Datuk Seri Jaseni Maidinsa said water demand in the state for the past three years has been greater than the combined period of the previous 12 years.
“Whenever the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) proposes new investments, the first thing we ask them is how are they going to get water to sustain their investments?
“We have witnessed in the past where due to excessive use of water surrounding industrial areas, water supply to residential areas was disrupted.
“So, as the Chief Minister has said, I strongly agree that it’s time for the industry players, especially an organisation like Frepenca that consists of various key factories in the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone and the Batu Kawan Industrial Park, to enter the scene and help us with the SPRWTS project,” Jaseni said.
Also, Jaseni suggested that the current caretaker Federal Government or if a new government is formed in the future, consider setting up a northern region company overseeing water issues.
“This way, each state in the north doesn’t have to duplicate the setting up of water supply infrastructures in the long term.
“If this move becomes a reality, we can also ensure that the price of water will remain competitive and sustainable,” Jaseni added.
Meanwhile, Chow said he was delighted with Penang’s industrialisation journey, from a low-cost manufacturing hub to a strategic site for Industry 4.0, embracing digitalisation, research and development, as well as advanced manufacturing activities.
“The five decades of industrial excellence have indeed translated into far-reaching effects on the local economy – in terms of raising the state’s gross domestic product (GDP), uplifting the skill set of the local workforce, and of course, having huge economic spill-over effects in the country.
Other issues such as traffic congestion and illegal parking of factory buses at the Bayan Lepas FIZ area and the Penang Transport Master Plan were discussed.
Also present during the dialogue session were Penang Island City Council (MBPP) mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang and Frepenca president Dr David Lacey.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Alissala Thian
Video by Siew Chia En