logo
Julaihi: Sg Sadit acute water system addresses area's supply issue, reduces dependency on treatment plants

Julaihi: Sg Sadit acute water system addresses area's supply issue, reduces dependency on treatment plants

Borneo Post14-05-2025
Julaihi (front centre), flanked by Wong and Chieng, shows his approval for the Sungai Sadit acute water system project. — Photo from Facebook/ JBALB Sarawak
SIBU (May 14): The new Sungai Sadit acute water system is providing a solution to the water supply issue in the area, said Utility and Telecommunication Minister Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi.
He said the fully operational project benefits not only Sungai Sadit residents, but also those in the Bawang Assan constituency and Sibu town.
'The implementation of Sungai Sadit acute system reduces dependency on Bukit Lima Water Treatment Plant and Salim Water Treatment Plant.
'We are taking the pressure away from Bukit Lima and Salim plants by putting up an acute system at Sungai Sadit with four million litres per day (MLD) production capacity.
'With the Sungai Sadit acute system, the plants at Bukit Lima and Salim can focus on servicing the town area,' he said when launching the system yesterday.
Julaihi said the RM5 million Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) project commenced in September last year and was completed within six months.
Fully funded by the state government, the project involved the construction of a new water treatment plant and installation of new pipelines to existing distribution pipes.
'The implementation of the project is a part of the Sarawak Water Supply Master Plan and Water Supply Grid System. It is our long-term initiative to resolve and address water supply issues effectively and comprehensively,' he said.
Meanwhile, Julaihi said the ongoing upgrading of the Salim Water Treatment Plant to double its production capacity from 150MLD to 300MLD would ensure Sibu has water reserves.
'Together with Bukit Lima Water Treatment Plant, which produces 45MLD per day, we have a total of 195MLD per day at the moment but this is only enough for the use of Sibu residents and there is no reserve margin.
'That is why we need to upgrade Salim Water Treatment Plant and the Sarawak government has approved RM300 million for this purpose.
'I am confident that when we have 300MLD daily plus 45MLD from Bukit Lima plant, we will have sufficient water supply not just for Sibu but also for the outskirts and surrounding areas,' he added.
Among those present were JBALB director Awang Mohammad Fadillah Awang Redzuan, Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication permanent secretary Datu Jafri Lias, Sibu Water Board general manager Abdul Malik Abdullah, Sibu Resident Abang Mohamad Porkan Abang Budiman, Bawang Assan assemblyman Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, and Bukit Assek assemblyman Joseph Chieng.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Zahid: Strengthen agriculture sector through TVET
Zahid: Strengthen agriculture sector through TVET

New Straits Times

time3 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Zahid: Strengthen agriculture sector through TVET

KUALA KUBU BARU: The country's agricultural industry needs to be strengthened through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to reduce dependence on food imports, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. He said the move was important to ensuring food security, including in the dairy sector, to meet the needs of the domestic market. Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development minister, said the National TVET Council is prepared to channel assistance and collaborate with agricultural training institutions nationwide to implement the initiative, especially through high-tech courses to attract the interest of young people. "The existing modules are good, but in my view, integrating the Internet of Things (IoT) and modern teaching pedagogy into TVET is essential. Learning should comprise only 30 per cent classroom sessions, with the remaining 70 per cent conducted in the field to give students real-world exposure to agriculture," said Zahid, who is also National TVET Council chairman. He said this at a press conference after opening the groundbreaking ceremony of the Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation's (PKPS) "Ehsan Dairy Farm" Dairy Cattle Complex in Kuala Kubu Baru today. Also present were Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari and PKPS Group Chief Executive Officer Datuk Dr Mohamad Khairil Mohamad Razi. Zahid added that premium salaries should be offered to TVET graduates in the agricultural sector, rather than being tied to a minimum wage of RM1,700, to attract more young people to join the industry. He said TVET graduates holding the Malaysian Skills Certificate (SKM) Level Three are eligible to receive a minimum salary of RM3,000, while those with SKM Level Five qualifications can earn up to RM5,000 a month. "SKM Level Five is equivalent to a diploma, and due to strong market demand and high employability, it can command a premium salary of around RM5,000. "This will certainly encourage young people to venture into this field," he said. On "Ehsan Dairy Farm", Zahid described it as a game changer for PKPS in its efforts to boost local dairy production, thereby helping to reduce the country's reliance on imports. "We import about 94.7 per cent of the country's dairy needs, which is worth RM4.6 million a year. "The prime minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim), when tabling the 13th Malaysia Plan recently, highlighted that one of the significant burdens we face is the need to import food products, including dairy, from abroad. "This PKPS initiative is a proactive step towards significantly reducing our reliance on dairy imports," he said. The Ehsan Dairy Farm, expected to begin operations in early 2026, will be located on about 16.7 hectares at the Sungai Tengi PKPS Farm. It will house more than 1,200 high-quality Jersey-Holstein Friesian (F2) dairy cows from Australia, a country renowned for its expertise in industrial dairy farming.

Razlan: Now is a good time to consider bringing back Formula One
Razlan: Now is a good time to consider bringing back Formula One

New Straits Times

time3 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Razlan: Now is a good time to consider bringing back Formula One

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Sepang International Circuit (SIC) chief executive officer Datuk Razlan Razali believes Malaysia can now consider bringing back Formula One. Razlan said Formula One fans are eager to see the pinnacle of four-wheeled racing make a comeback to Sepang, which hosted the race for almost two decades. "When we made the decision to drop Formula One in 2017, I did say we should give it a break for five years and reconsider it after that," said Razlan when met recently. "We have exceeded that (five-year period) now, and as a package, a spectacle event and as a tourist attraction, I think now is a good time to consider bringing it back. "After not hosting it for so long, many fans are craving to see it come back to Sepang so I think it could work. "It is just a matter of whether the government can afford it or not. "With the current sensitivity regarding the economy, they (government) will likely get a lot of criticism if they want to bring it back because you will have to invest a lot into it. "It all depends on the narrative you put forward. If you package it as a tourism initiative and highlight the incentives of hosting it here, it could be justified. "But at the end of the day, it is up to the government to decide." Sepang hosted Formula One between 1999 to 2017 but dropped the event due to dwindling global interest in the championship and disappointing ticket sales in Malaysia. At the time (2016), it was reported to cost Malaysia a staggering RM300 million to host Formula One annually. Formula One has, however, been given a new lease of life since being taken over by current owners Liberty Media in 2017. The Drive to Survive Netflix series, which began airing in 2019, and the introduction of Saturday sprint races in 2021 has significantly boosted interest in the championship. Razlan, who is the former team principal of the now defunct RNF MotoGP Racing Team, said on a personal note, he still prefers MotoGP over Formula One. "As a racing purist, I still think Formula One is boring. The recent Hungarian Grand Prix was hardly exciting," said Razlan with a cheeky smile. "MotoGP, however, is still exciting even though Marc Marquez is dominating at the moment." The Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia (MotoGP Malaysia) is currently Sepang's flagship international event. The track has hosted MotoGP every year since 1999, except for 2020 and 2021 when the race was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Focus Point set for solid Q2 earnings on strong optical sales
Focus Point set for solid Q2 earnings on strong optical sales

New Straits Times

time5 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Focus Point set for solid Q2 earnings on strong optical sales

KUALA LUMPUR: Focus Point Holdings Bhd is expected to deliver solid growth in its upcoming second quarter (Q2) 2025 results due to a strong sales growth in the optical segment, said RHB Research. Focus Point is tentatively scheduled to release its Q2 results on Aug 19. RHB Research expects the results to be in line with its and consensus expectations, with Q2 net profit estimated at RM9-10 million. "This will be supported by strong sales growth in the optical segment, underpinned by effective marketing initiatives. "While the food and beverage segment remains soft, we anticipate a quarter on quarter improvement, driven by better seasonality following the post-Ramadan period," it said. RHB Research continues to favour Focus Point for its market leadership position to capitalise on the rising myopic population. The research house noted that its current valuation is undemanding, particularly given the company's consistent outperformance of the broader retail sector, even amid a challenging operating environment. While the additional Employees Provident Fund contributions for foreign workers are minimal given the group employs about 70 foreign workers, the Sales and Service Tax expansion is expected to add around RM300,000 in monthly operating costs, according to management. "To reflect the higher cost base, we trim our financial year 2025 (FY25), FY26 and FY27 earnings by four per cent, six per cent and six per cent, respectively. "Accordingly, we revise our target price to 99 sen. This implies 11.4 times FY26 price per earnings, broadly in line with the valuation of other consumer retail names under our coverage," it added.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store