KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 29): Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor) has reiterated its commitment towards the sustainability and resilience of water supply by supporting Water Sector Transformation 2040 (AIR 2040), a national agenda introduced by the federal government to transform the water sector.
Its chief executive officer Adam Saffian Ghazali, who was invited as one of the speakers during a panel session at the launch of AIR 2040 on Tuesday, said technology and innovation are keys to ensuring sustainable and efficient water management.
"To guarantee the long-term sustainability of the water sector, a balance between environmental preservation and financial stability is crucial. Efforts to reduce non-revenue water (NRW) also play a significant role in improving operational efficiency, ensuring more water reaches consumers, and optimising available resources," he said in a statement.
"We at Air Selangor are ready to actively contribute to the success of Malaysia's water sector transformation goals," Adam added.
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof launched AIR 2040, a national roadmap to transform the water sector into a sustainable economic sector that can contribute significantly to the national gross domestic product, provide good quality, affordable water to the rakyat, create job opportunities, and advance the development of science, technology, innovation and economy.
The roadmap will be implemented over 20 years through four phases under several Malaysia Plans, starting with the 12th Malaysia Plan that covers 2021 to 2025.
Fadillah, who is also energy transition and water transformation minister, said the government plans to open up bids from the private sector as an alternative financing approach to help reduce the cost borne by the government to address the issue of high NRW in Malaysia.
He noted that the national average for NRW is about 35% of total water supply, but there are some states that have even breached 50%. This, he said, is costing the government about RM2 billion annually in potential revenue.