BY ALEXANDRA LORNA & SARAH HAFIZAH CHANDRA
KUCHING: The Sarawak Water Authority will be ready in the next two years, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said that the state government was currently in the process of regulating the legal framework for the single entity.
“Under this authority, the state government will merge other water bodies such as Kuching Water Board, Sibu Water Board and the Laku Management Sdn Bhd.
“They have their own planning, so why don’t we consolidate this into one water authority?
“Secondly, we need to take care our lakes and dams such as the Bakun and Murum dams. Therefore, we need to have an authority to regulate it,” he said at a press conference after launching the Borneo International Water and Wastewater Exhibition and Conference (BIWWEC) 2022 at Imperial Hotel on Today (Oct 18).
Abang Johari said with the single authority, it would cover the whole of Sarawak for its water management and water supplies.
“Hopefully over the long run, it will be cheaper because we use the technology, and this needs a huge investment.
“We also hope the federal government and state government will work together. But so far the state government has invested more than RM4 billion in the last three years. Thank God we got some means on how to do it based on our own financial modelling,” he said.
The Premier pointed out that a water ordinance would be promulgated to regulate the new statutory body.
“It will be similar to the Sarawak Energy, the format and the model are there. And it will be under the Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication,” he said.
