Penang MCA has urged the state government to step in and oversee the management of the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) and appoint experts to handle the water situation in Penang, according to State MCA publicity bureau chief Tan Eng Hin. He stressed the need for the state government to take control of PBAPP and closely monitor all maintenance work until the restructuring of the corporation is completed.
Tan emphasized that the state government must have comprehensive knowledge before implementing maintenance work and ensure that the people’s interests are their highest priority.
Concerns have been raised about the possibility of a similar water disruption that occurred in December being repeated. Tan highlighted this issue during a press conference held at the Wisma MCA office in Transfer Road on Monday (Jan 8).
The upcoming scheduled water cut from Jan 10-14 will impact nearly 600,000 consumers. The supply disruption is necessary for valve replacement work at the Sungai Dua water treatment plant and repair work at several locations along the main pipeline.
Chow Kon Yeow, the Chief Minister of Penang, mentioned that the replacement of the two major pipes was challenging and hoped the public would understand the long-term need for the work.
Tan urged PBAPP to carry out works only after fully understanding the situation involved, emphasizing the need for the state government to take full responsibility for the negative consequences caused by the disruption, rather than placing the burden on the people. He also raised questions about the cost of the repair work and called on the state government to present the facts.
Lim Kim Chuan, honorary secretary of the Penang Caring Dialysis Society, shared concerns about the impact of the water cut on their 13 patients who require dialysis. Each patient needs dialysis three times a week, and the society plans to use single-use dialysers to avoid risking the reusable ones, which require a large amount of water to clean before reuse. Lim also mentioned the amount of water used during each dialysis session, expressing uncertainty over whether water supply will be maintained during the disruption.
