By Marlynda Meraw
KUCHING, Nov 18: Further revisions on the penalty regarding the Water Ordinance 1994 will be made to reflect the severity of the damage in the water supply system, says Sarawak Minister of Utility and Telecommunication (MUT) Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi.
Julaihi made this statement addressing the frequent water supply disruptions caused by the negligence of third parties due to construction works, traffic accidents, and vandalism.
He cited that in Sarawak, the penalty for a first offence involving water supply disruption is only RM5,000, excluding the cost of damage repairs—a relatively small amount compared to Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, where penalties can reach up to RM50,000.
Julaihi also referenced Singapore’s stricter penalties for water supply disruptions, with fines capped at 40,000 Singapore dollars.
In addition to having difficulties detecting the damages and repairing the damaged pipes, the water supply agency also experienced losses in terms of non-revenue water (NRW).
“Pipeline damages take a long time to repair and affect the public in addition to giving a bad image to the water supply agency.
“We have looked in detail at the possibility of revising this Water Ordinance 1994 so that the penalty is raised to a higher value that is commensurate to the damages caused,” said Julaihi during his winding speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) today. — DayakDaily
