Penang to receive treated water from Perak by 2031
GEORGE TOWN : Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow says negotiations for the Perak‑Penang water project will begin soon, with the cross‑border supply expected to be operational by 2030 or 2031.
'The negotiations with Perak will commence very soon, and then the project will be implemented. The target is 2030 to 2031,' he told reporters on the sidelines of the 'GBS by the Sea' launch here today.
'We will be able to receive a few hundred million litres of water supply per day, which is good news for the Penang Development Corporation (PDC), as it opens up more areas for industries,' he said.
He noted that 'one or two big investors' require large tracts of land, which means the state must work harder to provide supporting infrastructure such as water, power, roads, and bridges.
In July, it was reported that Perak had agreed to sell treated water to Penang under the project.
The original plan involved transferring raw water from Perak, but the current proposal is for Perak to build a treatment plant and send treated water instead.
Penang's main water source, Sungai Muda, is projected to dry up by 2030.
On a separate matter, Chow urged Putrajaya to leverage Malaysia's Asean chairmanship to negotiate a better deal than the final 19% tariff imposed by the US on some Malaysian exports.
'Although all the details are not finalised yet, there is still an opportunity to negotiate better deals,' he said, adding that more clarity is expected by December.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
2 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Bomba D-G: Sarawak to adopt new fire safety compliance framework under amended Fire Services Act
KUCHING, Aug 5 — Sarawak will soon adopt a new fire safety compliance framework in line with national reforms under the new Fire Services Act, said Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad. He said the changes, which will take effect on January 1, 2026, will empower certified professionals to take on greater enforcement responsibilities and will mark a major shift in how fire safety compliance is managed across the country, including in Sarawak. 'Currently, enforcement is carried out mostly by the Fire Department through inspections and issuing notices. However, once the new Act takes effect, these responsibilities will be gradually transferred to certified Fire Safety Managers,' he told reporters after officiating the Bomba Southern Zone Industry Lead Body (ILB) Seminar at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here yesterday. Nor Hisham said under the new system, Fire Safety Managers and Fire Safety Officers will be trained and certified to ensure compliance within their respective premises. If they fail in their responsibilities, their certification can be revoked and they may also face fines under the new legislation. The reforms are part of a broader effort by the government to reduce direct enforcement by 25 percent every three years under the Public Service Delivery Reforms, while encouraging industries to take greater responsibility for their own compliance. 'The exact amount of the fines is being finalised in meetings this week as we formulate the subsidiary regulations under the Act. This approach, known as the 'self-regulated approach', allows industries to self-regulate, which is a more progressive step forward as Malaysia moves towards developed nation status.' As part of this initiative, he said the Fire and Rescue Department has been appointed as the ILB for the fire safety sector by the Human Resources Ministry for the 2025–2027 period. The ILB, in collaboration with the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) and the Department of Skills Development, will be responsible for overseeing training, certification, and auditing of fire safety professionals. 'In today's seminar (for example), more than 600 participants from the industry community in southern Sarawak registered to learn about the new system and their roles in it. 'The ILB will also act as an auditor to monitor and ensure that Fire Safety Managers and Officers continue to comply with the standards. Any actions taken by them must be approved by the department. If not, it will be considered an offence under the new Act,' he said. Fire Safety Officers will undergo a three-day technical course, while Fire Safety Managers will be required to complete a five-day training programme focused on building inspections, evacuation planning, reporting, and maintenance. 'These managers will prepare regular internal reports. If the reports are deemed credible, the department may renew the fire certificate without a full physical inspection,' said Nor Hisham. However, periodic inspections will still be carried out every two to three years to verify the accuracy of the submitted reports and ensure compliance on the ground, he said. He also confirmed that buildings requiring a fire certificate such as BCCK must appoint a certified Fire Safety Manager. 'For organisations that manage multiple buildings, like JKR Sarawak, we will allow a certified manager to be responsible for a group of buildings, rather than appointing one for each facility,' he explained. Nor Hisham also said the upcoming changes are not just about enforcement, but also about improving industry standards and public safety. 'This is a shared responsibility, and with the right people certified and trained, we can ensure a safer environment for everyone,' he said. — The Borneo Post
Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Bursa opens lower as investors eye 13MP, Fed signals pause
KUALA LUMPUR : Bursa Malaysia opened slightly lower on Thursday as investors remained cautious ahead of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) announcement later today, and after the US Federal Reserve signalled a prolonged pause in interest rate cuts. At 9.12am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 2.30 points, or 0.15%, to 1,522.20 from Wednesday's close of 1,524.50. The benchmark index had opened 0.51 of a point firmer at 1,523.99. Market breadth was marginally positive, with 162 gainers outpacing 130 decliners. A total of 277 counters were unchanged, 1,926 untraded, and 53 suspended. Turnover stood at 198.38 million shares worth RM78.92 million. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said investors were awaiting the 13MP announcement this afternoon, though its immediate market impact could be limited given its long-term fiscal reform focus. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to table the 13MP in the Dewan Rakyat today. The five-year development blueprint will chart the nation's economic direction from 2026 to 2030. Thong added that sentiment was also weighed by Wall Street's mixed overnight performance, following the Fed's decision to keep rates unchanged as it continues to assess the impact of US tariffs. 'The FBM KLCI remained lacklustre, moving within a narrow range before ending marginally higher. With no clear catalysts, we expect the index to trend between the 1,520 and 1,530 range today,' he told Bernama. Among the heavyweights, Maybank rose three sen to RM9.48 and IHH Healthcare gained seven sen to RM6.70. Public Bank slipped six sen to RM4.23, Tenaga Nasional lost four sen to RM13.24, and CIMB eased two sen to RM6.53. On the actively traded list, Pharmaniaga slipped half a sen to 15.5 sen, Pestec International fell 1.5 sen to 13.5 sen, and TWL was flat at 2.5 sen. Zetrix AI added two sen to 86.5 sen, while Northeast Group advanced five sen to 69 sen. Top gainers included PPB, which climbed 11 sen to RM9.42, while Dutch Lady Milk Industries and ITMax System rose 10 sen each to RM27.30 and RM4.05, respectively. Among the top losers, Nestle declined 10 sen to RM87.30, while MMM Group dropped 4.5 sen to 1.5 sen. On the broader market, the FBM Emas Index shed 7.20 points to 11,428.33, while the FBMT 100 Index slipped 8.23 points to 11,190.47. The FBM Emas Shariah Index rose 11.09 points to 11,485.11. The FBM 70 Index gained 25.87 points to 16,515.57, and the FBM ACE Index edged up 5.74 points to 4,599.62. By sector, the Financial Services Index fell 56.71 points to 17,241.02, the Industrial Products and Services Index eased 0.12 of a point to 160.77, and the Plantation Index was down 1.93 points at 7,405.58. The Energy Index climbed 4.11 points to 747.82.
Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Bursa opens higher on US tariff cut boost
KUALA LUMPUR : Bursa Malaysia rebounded from two days of losses to open higher on Friday, supported by improved sentiment following the US move to reduce the tariff rate on Malaysian imports. Washington earlier announced a 19% tariff on Malaysian goods, effective Aug 1, 2025. At 9.10am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 8.83 points, or 0.58%, to 1,522.08 from Thursday's close of 1,513.25. The benchmark index had opened 6.62 points higher at 1,519.87. Market breadth was positive, with gainers outpacing decliners 200 to 138. A total of 292 counters were unchanged, 1,860 untraded, and 11 suspended. Turnover stood at 244.74 million units worth RM111.66 million. Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said the lower-than-expected tariff is positive news for Malaysia. 'We believe investors will be happier to get this news. Hence sentiment should improve, and we revise our FBM KLCI target today to within the range of 1,510 to 1,530,' he added. Earlier today, US President Donald Trump also said there would be no tariff if Malaysia, or Malaysian companies, chose to build or manufacture products within the US. Since April, Malaysia has been negotiating with Washington, aiming to reduce the earlier-announced 24% tariff rate. The latest round of talks was held on June 18 this year. On July 7, Trump announced that it would impose a 25% tariff on any and all Malaysian products sent into the country, separate from all sectoral tariffs effective today, one percentage point higher compared to what had been announced in April. Among the heavyweights, Maybank, Tenaga Nasional and CIMB all climbed eight sen each to RM9.47, RM13.10 and RM6.63 respectively. Public Bank rose three sen to RM4.24 and IHH Healthcare was one sen higher to RM6.63. On the actively traded list, TWL inched up half-a-sen to three sen, Trive Property and Top Glove both remained unchanged at one sen and 68.5 sen respectively, and Pharmaniaga and NexG eased half-a-sen each to 17 sen and 53 sen respectively. Top gainers included Malaysian Pacific Industries which gained 60 sen to RM20.74, Main Market debutant UMS Integration which garnered 29 sen to RM5.29, and Pinehill Pacific which added 14 sen to 42 sen. Among the top losers, United Malacca declined 10 sen to RM5.25, Unimech reduced six sen to RM1.34, and MSM Malaysia dropped 5.5 sen to 96.5 sen. On the broader market, the FBM Emas Index gained 56.08 points to 11,456.55, the FBMT 100 Index edged up 60.75 points to 11,217.26, the FBM Emas Shariah Index rose 45.96 points to 11,507.63, the FBM 70 Index increased 71.58 points to 16,676.19, and the FBM ACE Index improved 6.53 points to 4,624.74. By sector, the Financial Services Index advanced 120.70 points to 17,273.40, the Industrial Products and Services Index inched up 0.57 of a point to 159.71, the Plantation Index bagged 27.75 points at 7,422.79, and the Energy Index ticked up 1.90 points to 750.24.
