Join Efforts for Prioritizing Water and Energy Preservation: Mustapa

All parties must collectively join hands to prioritise water, energy, and environmental preservation, as Malaysia transitions towards becoming a high-income nation by 2050, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) said.

Within the next 5 years, the government will employ the strategies, namely empowering people as the drivers of water sector transformation, strengthening governance at the federal , state and district levels, enhancing data-driven decision-making capabilities, ensuring sustainable financing and developing sustainable and cost-effective infrastructure, he was quoted as saying.

The government is looking to provide safe access to clean water and adequate sanitation systems to 98% of Malaysians living in rural areas with the help of other stakeholders and the establishment of an Integrated Centre for Water Data, Research and Development.

The minister said 96% of the total populations has access to clean and treated water, whereas 85% has access to connected sewerage services in Malaysia.

He said in his opening remarks at the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Clean Water and Sanitisation webinar today, that the Water Sector Transformation 2040 (WST 2040), a two-decade agenda outlined in the 12th Malaysia Plan, will enable the water sector to significantly contribute to national growth and wealth creation by becoming a regional water industry hub. This webinar was jointly organised by Malaysian Water Association and the Economic Planning Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department.

“However, the disparity between states remains significantly ask only acting 9% of the population in Sabah and 73% in Kelantan half access to clean water.”

“Improving access to clean and treated water, especially in rural and remote parts of our country is a must for us,” he added.

He also outlined a few issues and challenges faced by the water industry including the poor management of water resources, which affects the supply and quality of water and carries in a number of states which do not cover operating costs and non-revenue water (NRW).

“NRW is high, particularly in rural areas the failure of the produce water to reach intended consumers is mainly due to the leakages from aging infrastructures, and these include pipes and tanks,” he said.

“The lack of awareness of the importance of water resources among Malaysians has also contributed to the problems of that the country faces today.”

“There’s no robust platform for inclusive local community involvement in water governance while the lack of attention surrounding the water sector has led to a high rate wastage.”

“Furthermore the absence of data driven and size base decision making has also contributed to the inefficient management of the water sector,” he said.

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