Latest news with #waterdisruption
Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Sabah water dept advises UMS to enhance its water pumping system
The Sabah chapter of the National Consumer Foundation Malaysia previously expressed concern over the water supply disruptions at Universiti Malaysia Sabah in Kota Kinabalu. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : The Sabah water department has urged Universiti Malaysia Sabah to enhance its water pumping system following prolonged water supply disruptions on campus. The department's director, Chee Chun Chieh, said the R13 tank located on campus is able to supply more than the five million litres a day needed by the university. 'If the current pumps are no longer able to meet demand, UMS should replace them with higher-capacity or more efficient units to fulfil its water needs,' he said in a statement. Earlier today, FMT reported that a federal deputy minister had blamed the prolonged water disruptions at UMS on the existing tube well, which he says can only supply one million litres of water daily. Deputy higher education minister Mustapha Sakmud said the campus needs five million litres a day. He said he had asked chief minister Hajiji Noor to order the Sabah water department to ensure that water supply to the campus remains uninterrupted. Mustapha said the state government is expediting the construction of a pipe from the water treatment plant in Telibong to meet the demands of the increasing number of consumers. He said the pipe should be a long-term solution to UMS's water woes. However, he said, the construction of the pipe is progressing slowly due to the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway. The Sabah chapter of the National Consumer Foundation Malaysia had previously expressed concern over the water supply disruptions at UMS, saying it reflected poorly on the state's ability to provide basic utilities to vital institutions.
Free Malaysia Today
7 days ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Deputy minister blames UMS water woes on tube well
The state government is said to be expediting the construction of a pipe from the water treatment plant in Telibong, which is expected to be a long-term solution to UMS's water woes. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : A federal deputy minister has blamed the prolonged water disruptions at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) on the tube well which he says can only supply one million litres of water daily. Mustapha Sakmud said the campus needs five million litres per day. He said he had asked chief minister Hajiji Noor to order the Sabah water department to ensure that water supply to the campus remains uninterrupted. 'The state government is expediting the construction of a pipe from the water treatment plant in Telibong to meet the demands of the increasing number of consumers,' the deputy higher education minister told FMT, adding that the pipe should be a long-term solution to UMS's water woes. 'We were informed that the project (pipe construction) is progressing slowly due to the ongoing construction of the Pan Borneo Highway,' he added. Yesterday, the Sabah chapter of the National Consumer Foundation Malaysia expressed concern over the water supply disruptions at UMS. Its chairman David Chan said the prolonged crisis reflected poorly on the state's ability to provide basic utilities to vital institutions, The Borneo Post reported. Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg pledged to raise the matter with higher education minister Zambry Abdul Kadir after a Sarawakian student wrote to him about the issue.
Independent Singapore
26-05-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Over 155,000 Johor account holders to get 15% water bill rebate after 4-day water supply disruption
Freepik/wirestock JOHOR BAHRU: Over 155,000 account holders in Johor will receive a 15% rebate on their water bills this month following a four-day water supply disruption, said Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi after discussions with water operator Ranhill SAJ. According to The Star, Mr Ghazi said Ranhill SAJ had agreed to give a 15% rebate on the water bills of all 155,074 domestic and non-domestic accounts affected, such as houses of worship, charitable institutions, businesses, and industries. The water disruption affected those in Iskandar Puteri and Johor Bahru last Wednesday and lasted until Saturday. At the state assembly meeting on Monday (May 26), Mr Ghazi said that while the rebate may not make up for the hardship experienced by those affected, he hopes it will, in some way, 'help ease their burden.' He also apologised, on behalf of the state government, to all Johoreans affected by the water supply interruption, saying he understood it was not a small issue as it disrupted families' daily lives and affected the operations of schools, hospitals, and businesses. Mr Ghazi said 42 water tankers, 51 static water tanks, and 13,000 cartons of bottled water were sent to households during the disruption. A task force has also been set up to prevent similar incidents from happening again. In March, the Johor state government allocated over RM5 billion (S$1.52 billion) to build three reservoirs and three water treatment plants, as it aims to stop relying on Singapore's treated water by 2030. However, analysts said the timeline for Johor's planned water treatment plants could be too 'ambitious' given the scale of construction involved. /TISG Read also: 'You have my word' — Johor Chief Minister says he will 'personally address' Singaporeans' 'painful' Vehicle Entry Permit concerns
Free Malaysia Today
26-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Emergency meeting held to discuss JB water supply disruption
About 100,000 consumer accounts in several areas in Iskandar Puteri experienced water supply disruptions yesterday. PETALING JAYA : Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi said a special meeting was convened this morning with state water operator Ranhill SAJ to address water supply disruptions in Johor Bahru. It was reported yesterday that around 100,000 consumer accounts in parts of Johor Bahru experienced water disruptions due to unexpected damage to the main pumps supplying the Sungai Johor water treatment plant. In a Bernama report, Onn Hafiz said today's meeting was aimed at discussing immediate solutions to repair the six damaged pumps. 'As everyone is aware, Ranhill SAJ has announced that several pumps in the Johor Bahru district are damaged, resulting in hundreds of thousands of homes currently without water. 'We were informed that repairs on all six pumps were expected to be completed yesterday, but unfortunately, issues remain. 'Therefore, I called for an emergency meeting this morning to ensure that the pumps can be repaired without further delay,' he said at the state assembly. He added that the state government would seek assistance from other districts and states to help supply water to the affected areas. Onn Hafiz also gave instructions for the purchase of mineral water to ensure an adequate supply of drinking water for households in the affected areas. State public works, transport and infrastructure committee chairman Fazli Salleh yesterday said the damaged pumps at the Sungai Johor water treatment plant had forced the plant to cease operations. He said the disruption meant that 318 million litres of water could not be channelled to consumers in several areas.
Free Malaysia Today
26-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Johor water service provider offers 15% rebate after supply disruption
Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi said 42 water tankers, 51 static tanks, and 13,000 cartons of mineral water were deployed to the affected areas. ISKANDAR PUTERI : Johor's water service provider, Ranhill SAJ Sdn Bhd, is offering a 15% rebate on May water bills to all consumers affected by the recent water supply disruption. Menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the rebate would benefit 155,074 account holders in both the domestic and non-domestic categories, including individual residences, houses of worship, welfare institutions, business premises, and industries. 'I hope this initiative can, to some extent, ease the burden and provide relief to those affected,' he said during the winding-up debate session at the state legislative assembly in Kota Iskandar today. He added that a task force had been established to prevent a repeat of the incident. It was previously reported that the main pump supplying the Sungai Johor water treatment plant had experienced unexpected damage on June 20. The disruption cut off the supply of more than 318 million litres of treated water per day to the Johor Bahru and Iskandar Puteri areas, affecting more than 100,000 consumer accounts. The water supply was fully restored on June 24. Onn Hafiz apologised to all those affected by the disruption. 'I understand this is not a minor issue, especially when it disrupts the daily lives of families and affects the operations of schools, hospitals, and businesses. 'In fact, I personally intervened on May 22 to provide explanations and initiate early actions to resolve the issue impacting the Johor Bahru district,' he said. He said the state government had instructed Ranhill SAJ to repair the damaged water pump immediately and to mobilise all necessary machinery and manpower to alleviate the people's hardship. 'A total of 42 water tankers, 51 static tanks, and 13,000 cartons of mineral water were deployed to the affected areas during that period,' he said.
