THE flash floods in Baling recently caused a shutdown of the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (WTP), the largest WTP which supplies 80% of the total volume of treated water to Penang.
It was reported that the raw water from Sungai Muda turned too turbid, resulting in a shutdown of almost four hours.
After the disruption began, many felt lost and could only vent their frustrations and ask for help online.
Despite this, information about when the WTP will resume or ways to get clean water was largely unavailable.
When these crises happen, it is common that fake news and errant information will get shared vigorously, leading to the panic bottled water-buying spree this time.
Things like these could have been avoided if the state government were more efficient in informing the public and handling the situation.
Therefore, Chow Kon Yeow, as the Penang Chief Minister and chairman of PBA Holdings, and the Pakatan Harapan state executive councillors in charge of the state government must be held responsible and should learn from the mistakes committed this time.
Thus, I urge the state government and PBAPP to implement the following suggestions to improve crisis response in these situations:
1. PBAPP to give immediate notice on water supply updates, allowing the public to be mentally prepared.
2. An official portal should give clear and regular updates, allowing the public to feel more at ease.
3. Set up a platform for public complaints and feedback, allowing for improvements and engagement.
4. Deploy backup mechanisms such as water reservoirs and water tankers, ensuring minimal disruption to the public.
Water is an irreplaceable resource in our daily lives. While it is understood that the state government should put all efforts into resuming 100% water supply as soon as possible, the state should also do its best to communicate with the people during the crisis, as well as plan ahead to respond better in the future.
MCA spokesman
Saw Yee Fung
