Santiago urges successor at SPAN to maintain momentum
Charles Santiago has been replaced as SPAN chairman after two years at the helm.
PETALING JAYA : Charles Santiago has called on his successor at the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) to carry forward the momentum that has reshaped Malaysia's water sector over the past two years.
SPAN today announced that former Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd CEO Abdul Kadir Din had been appointed to chair the water regulator effective yesterday, replacing Santiago.
When contacted by FMT, Santiago said his two-year term at SPAN had ended.
Santiago previously held the post from November 2018 to April 2020 when Pakatan Harapan was in government.
Under Santiago's leadership from 2023 to 2025, SPAN launched an ambitious reform programme focussing on decarbonisation, operational efficiency, governance and anti-corruption efforts.
Santiago said these efforts had laid a strong foundation for a resilient water sector that is prepared to meet the challenges of climate change and water scarcity.
'Given the increasing frequency of extreme weather events and the looming threat of water scarcity, it is imperative to continue these initiatives to mitigate a potential water crisis in Malaysia,' he said in a statement.
Santiago said among SPAN's key achievements during his tenure were the introduction of an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) framework for water and wastewater operators, the adoption of low-carbon operating systems, and the formation of joint working teams with state water companies like Syarikat Air Perlis.
Notably, the pilot project in Perlis is expected to save RM7 million annually by reducing non-revenue water (NRW) — a success Santiago hopes will be replicated nationwide.
Santiago said SPAN had also ramped up integrity and anti-corruption programmes, introduced ISO 9000 standards to improve internal efficiency, and launched a nationwide water conservation campaign in late 2024.
Looking ahead, Santiago highlighted the importance of building an ecosystem for startups in the water sector, strengthening financial management and governance among operators, and deepening collaborations with international partners such as Singapore's national water agency (Public Utilities Board) and the World Bank.
Santiago, a former three-term MP for Klang, said these partnerships should focus on areas such as NRW reduction, technology adoption, financial management, governance and integrity.
'The momentum built over the past two years must be maintained to realise SPAN's full potential,' he said.
SPAN is an independent regulatory body for water supply and sewerage services in the peninsula as well as Labuan.
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