12 water firms pledge to work together during crisis

PUTRAJAYA: Twelve water concessionaires nationwide have come together, pledging to share water supply, manpower and equipment to help consumers during a crisis.

The concessionaires – along with the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) – have come together to formalise their cooperation during crisis such as floods, drought and others.

They are SAJ Holdings Sdn Bhd (Johor), Syarikat Air Darul Aman Sdn Bhd (Sada), Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd, Jabatan Bekalan Air Labuan, Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad, Syarikat Air Negri Sembilan Sdn Bhd, Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang, Pengurusan Air Pahang, Lembaga Air Perak, Jabatan Kerja Raya Perlis, Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) and Syarikat Air Terengganu Sdn Bhd.

Yesterday, the companies inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which will see them helping one another not just in the form of supplying clean water but in manpower and equipment such as lorries, static tanks and portable generators.

Under the agreement, the concessionaires also agreed to send a team to assist others under the MOU within 24 hours of the crisis as well as provide advice and technical input.

SPAN chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Ridhuan Ismail said the floods which hit the east coast states last year saw water operators helping out their counterparts in Kelantan and Terengganu.

“Taking a leaf from the episode, the concessionaires want to make their collaboration official and to rope in SPAN to coordinate assistance from these companies as well as from other agencies and bodies,” he said during the signing ceremony.

The cost of providing assistance, including supplying water and equipment, will be borne by the concessionaires offering the help.

Mohd Ridhuan said the inking of the MoU was timely to prepare for any flood.

He said although no operators had submitted request for assistance, the companies and SPAN could start preparing a list of aid that would be useful during floods.