KUALA LUMPUR: State governments should rethink giving free water to every home and instead limit it to certain households, said Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
The Natural Resources and Environment Minister called on the Penang and Selangor governments to review their decision as dams continue depleting due to the heatwave.
Giving free water “does not serve its real purpose” except to the benefit of a few, he said after launching the Asia Water Resource 2016 Expo and Forum yesterday.
On Sunday, Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali said despite incurring a cost of RM1.1bil for providing 20 cubic metres of free water to households in Selangor, the programme would go on.
Wan Junaidi said it was important for the state governments to understand the concerns of the Federal Government on national water security.
He said the authorities need to better gauge how water was being used in the country.
Such a study could also look into water usage in various industries, he said.
“We are engaging with the National Hydraulic Research Institute of Malaysia and the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation on whether industries can be encouraged to store water for their own use.
On the National Water Resources Bill, he said the Ministry was in the midst of gathering the views and suggestions of every state on it.
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