KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 12 — The Dewan Rakyat passed the Water Services Industry (Amendment) Bill 2024 today, which, among others, empowers courts to order polluters to bear the costs of restoring the affected water supply system.
The bill was passed via a majority voice vote following the winding-up of debates at the policy and committee stages by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, who is also the Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra) Minister.
The amendments to the Water Services Industry Act 2006 (Act 655) include a revision of Section 121 to make it an offence for any individual to contaminate water sources that lead to temporary cessation or closures of water supply systems.
The bill also proposes increasing penalties as a preventive measure, considering the significant impact of water supply system contamination on users, as well as the inclusion of a new subsection (1A) under Section 61 of the Act to prohibit the discharge of prohibited effluents and other substances into septic tanks.
On water theft statistics, Fadillah said that from 2008 to 2024, enforcement actions and investigations were initiated in 715 cases under Section 123 of Act 655.
"As of November, 100 cases were prosecuted and convicted under Section 123 (1), with fines amounting to RM1.5 million," he said.
Fadillah added that Petra acknowledges suggestions to enhance water and sewerage complaint channels, including establishing a task force under the National Water Services Commission (SPAN).
"SPAN has already established an e-complaint system for water and sewerage-related matters. However, we will consider the proposals to strengthen it so that complaints can be submitted more easily and follow-up actions can be taken promptly," he said.
— Bernama
