Penang water supply stable despite heatwave, PBAPP urges prudent usage
Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) chief executive officer Datuk K. Pathmanathan told the 'New Straits Times' that that all three major dams in Penang — Air Itam, Teluk Bahang and Mengkuang — are operating within safe and sustainable limits.
"To date, the Air Itam Dam stands at 62 per cent effective capacity, which can support water supply for around 60 days, while the Teluk Bahang Dam is at 51.7 per cent, sufficient for 157 days.
"As for the Mengkuang Dam — our largest reservoir — it is at a strong 91.3 per cent capacity, which can last about 131 days," he said.
Despite the reassuring figures, Pathmanathan stressed the importance of continued water conservation, particularly in light of rising temperatures and dry spells in nearby regions.
"We are actively implementing the Air Itam Dam Action Plan 2025, and are closely monitoring rainfall and weather conditions at all catchment areas.
"However, prudent water usage by all consumers is crucial to ensure sustainability," he added.
Penang has so far avoided the Level 1 heatwave alert status triggered in districts such as Bandar Baharu (Kedah), Kuala Kangsar and Perak Tengah (Perak), and Machang (Kelantan), where maximum daily temperatures have reached up to 37°C for three consecutive days.
Pathmanathan said PBAPP is working with relevant authorities to manage demand and ensure uninterrupted supply throughout the state.
He said consumers are urged to report any water leakages or broken pipes to the PBAPP call centre at 04-255 8255.
"Everyone has a role to play. Saving water today means securing supply for tomorrow."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
SST on private healthcare may drive up cost
ISKANDAR PUTERI: The newly imposed six per cent expanded Sales and Service Tax (SST) on private healthcare services for non-citizens could quietly inflate medical costs across the board, raising real concerns over affordability, equity and long-term system resilience. Gleneagles Hospital Johor chief executive officer and regional chief executive officer of Southern and Eastern IHH Malaysia, Dr Kamal Amzan, said that while the government maintains the tax targets medical tourists and expatriates, its ripple effects may land much closer to home. "Healthcare is not made up of standalone bills. It's an ecosystem held together by hundreds of interdependent services," Dr Kamal said. "By taxing services like cleaning, linen supply, lab logistics and security, which are integral to hospital operations — you are essentially taxing the cost of care itself," he told the New Straits Times. These costs are not peripheral. They form the architecture of safe, modern healthcare. Yet under the current tax framework, many contracted support services are now subject to SST — a move that could compound financial pressures on hospitals already grappling with medical inflation, wage hikes and post-Covid service recovery. "Hospitals facing slimmer margins may resort to fee increases, administrative charges, or cuts in services to stay afloat. This isn't reform — it's erosion," said Dr Kamal. This policy arrives at a time when the cost of private healthcare in Malaysia has already outpaced wage growth, with a recorded 12 per cent increase last year alone. In many hospitals, margins are tightening even as expectations for quality and safety rise. "We are taxing the scaffolding of care while pretending the house will still stand," he added. Contrary to popular belief, private hospitals are not the exclusive domain of the wealthy. Middle-income families often rely on them to avoid long queues at public hospitals. Employers turn to private facilities to minimise workplace absenteeism. Many cancer patients move between public and private care as public oncology services buckle under rising demand. "Private hospitals are the pressure valve for an overstretched public system. When access narrows in the private sector due to rising costs, patients will inevitably default to public hospitals — and they're already under immense strain," said Dr Kamal. To avoid that outcome, Dr Kamal urges the government to exempt core hospital services — such as linen supply, lab transport, cleaning and security — from SST when provided to licensed healthcare facilities. "These aren't luxuries. They're the minimum conditions for safe care," he said. The argument isn't about shielding providers from taxes. It's about aligning policy with national goals. The government is trying to rein in medical inflation. Yet this tax expansion works in the opposite direction — quietly raising costs, eroding efficiency and ultimately, reducing access. "We should be reducing the cost to deliver care, not layering it. Taxing the backbone of hospital operations while asking the industry to absorb payor discounts is a contradiction we can't afford." While the government has maintained that medicines and services for Malaysians remain tax-free, stakeholders warn that this new layer of indirect cost will ultimately find its way into patient bills — especially for those on the margins of affordability. "If we're serious about protecting the rakyat from rising healthcare costs, then exempting services that keep hospitals running isn't charity — it's common sense," said Dr Kamal. Because no hospital can deliver modern care without its invisible hands — the ones who clean, sterilise, transport and guard its patients and staff. "We've exempted apples from tax. Maybe that's fitting," Dr Kamal added wryly. "After all, an apple a day keeps the doctor away — especially when seeing one gets more expensive," he added.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
Safe complaint channel planned
KUALA LUMPUR: A safe channel to file complaints and psychosocial support are among the key features of the Health Ministry's workplace anti-bullying guidelines scheduled for launch in October. The guidelines, which apply to Health Ministry personnel, outline measures to prevent, report and manage bullying incidents in the ministry. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the guidelines would offer reporting channels that ensured confidentiality and protect complainants. "As part of the psychosocial support component, victims will be given access to counselling services, referrals to professionals and also group support," he told the New Straits Times. He added that confirmed perpetrators would face disciplinary action and undergo counselling interventions. On compliance mechanisms, Dzulkefly said department heads and management teams would be responsible for fostering a healthy work environment. These responsibilities include preventive measures, such as awareness campaigns and training sessions to address bullying. He said monitoring and evaluation would focus on achieving the guidelines' goals of increasing awareness and reporting, and improving workplace culture and staff well-being. "It will be carried out through a systematic monitoring mechanism that includes data collection and analyses, as well as assessment of the guidelines' implementation and compliance at ministry facilities." On July 12, he said the guidelines were part of broader efforts to strengthen the ministry's support systems, including the MyHelp KKM platform. Bullying cases can now be reported through the MyHelp portal, which was launched in 2022. Reports submitted online must be investigated within 15 working days, depending on whether the case is classified as standard or complex. Last year, he announced the formation of a task force to investigate bullying cases in hospitals as well as at other healthcare facilities.
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- New Straits Times
Transparency, action keys to building trust in tackling workplace bullying in public healthcare sector '
KUALA LUMPUR: Confidential complaint channels and support systems for victims are crucial in addressing workplace bullying in the public healthcare sector, says Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy. Its chief executive Azrul Mohd Khalib said these mechanisms must be supported with regular reporting of incidents, actions taken and remedial measures — potentially through online dashboards — to ensure transparency and accountability. "It sends a right and positive signal that allegations of workplace bullying and related issues will be taken seriously. "This move provides a framework for such complaints to be properly handled and places accountability on supervisors and the Health Ministry's leadership," he told the New Straits Times. Azrul was commenting on Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad's statement that a secure complaint channel and psychosocial support are among the key features of the ministry's upcoming workplace bullying guidelines, scheduled for launch this October. The guidelines, which will apply to all Health Ministry personnel, outline structured measures to prevent, report, and manage bullying incidents across the ministry. He said the guidelines will include designated reporting channels that ensure confidentiality and protection for complainants. Currently, bullying cases can be reported through the MyHELP portal, which was launched on Oct 1, 2022. Reports submitted online must be investigated within 15 working days, depending on whether the case is classified as standard or complex. Azrul said that while the proposed confidential complaint channels and psychosocial support mechanisms were a step in the right direction, their success would depend on implementation and trust in the system. "The key factor is to ensure confidentiality is protected and that these mechanisms function effectively. It must work through decades of institutional inertia and distrust of bureaucracy," he said. To ensure the guidelines are enforced effectively nationwide, he said leadership must set the tone — from the minister down to heads of divisions, state health directors and frontliners at hospitals and clinics. "There must be training and briefings to show that these guidelines are being taken seriously. Leaders must lead by example to build trust in the system," he said.
