Saarani: State input vital before federal decision on water transfer project

New Straits Times

5 days ago

MANJUNG: The state government's input must be considered before any federal decisions are made regarding the water transfer project from Sungai Perak to the Bukit Merah Dam.
Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said this includes identifying the most suitable route for implementation to avoid negative impacts or hardship for local residents.
He said engagement sessions would be held between the state and federal governments before the cabinet paper on the project is tabled at a cabinet meeting in August.
"We have been informed that the cabinet paper will be submitted by August. So, we request that before it is presented and approved by the cabinet, it should first be discussed with the state government, as we intend to provide our views.
"We want to identify a route that will not cause flooding, will not require excessive land acquisition and will not lead to hardships for the public, such as forced relocation," he said.
He was speaking to reporters after attending the key handover ceremony for buyers of 60 housing units built under the state government's Rumah Perakku initiative at Taman Perakku Batu 14, Lekir, Sitiawan, today.
The housing project was developed with easy financing support and a RM3 million infrastructure subsidy allocated by the state government to ensure the provision of complete basic facilities in the 1.7-hectare housing area.
Saarani was responding to a question about the outcome of a meeting he attended with Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Transition and Water Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof at the Parliament building in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, which discussed the project.
He said the raw water transfer project needs to be expedited due to declining water levels at the Bukit Merah dam in Kerian, caused by annual hot and dry weather, which affects crop irrigation and future industrial development.
"We understand that constraints at the federal level include the need to secure funding and complete other processes. Our meeting with the ministry was primarily to determine the best route.
"The state government wishes to provide our input to ensure the project benefits multiple stakeholders, particularly farmers in northern Perak, the Kerian Integrated Green Industrial Park (KIGIP) and to meet the water supply demands of Penang.
"We take into account that, barring any obstacles, KIGIP is expected to be completed by the end of 2028 and begin operations in January 2029.
"But our main priority is resolving the irrigation issue for farmers in northern Perak," he said.
On Monday, Saarani called on the federal government to expedite the Sungai Perak–Bukit Merah water transfer project, citing recurring droughts and the current infeasibility of cloud seeding operations.
In June 2024, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the government had, in principle, agreed to approve funding for the implementation of the raw water distribution project from Sungai Perak to the Bukit Merah dam. The project, intended to supply treated water to northern Perak and Penang, is estimated to cost RM4 billion.