GEORGE TOWN, May 20 — The Penang state government is urged to review the rate of water use in the state.

Penang State Assembly opposition chief Datuk Jahara Hamid said the rate of water use in Penang was high and must be tackled holistically to avoid the long term effect. 

She said the state government’s measure to impose a surcharge and increase the water tariff had failed to educate the people to use water judiciously.

“Water consumption continues to go up despite the surcharge imposed in 2010 in the effort to reduce water consumption,” she said when debating the opening speech of the Penang Governor, Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas in the Penang State Assembly here, today.

Jahara, who is also Teluk Air Tawar State Assemblyman, said the people also urged the State Government to issue water bills monthly instead of every two months.

Another opposition elected representative Mohd Zain Ahmad (BN — Penaga) said programmes and measures by the State Government to educate the people were negligible. — Bernama