GEORGE TOWN, April 15 — The Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation will implement five key water supply projects in Penang worth an estimated RM800 million to bolster the state’s water security, the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) announced today.
According to PBAPP chief executive officer Datuk K. Pathmanathan, the federally-funded projects are designed to boost the functionality of the Expanded Mengkuang Dam (EMD), enable more efficient water abstraction from Sungai Muda, and upgrade services across the state.
“These projects will effectively upgrade water supply services and enable faster refilling of the Teluk Bahang Dam,” Pathmanathan said in a statement.
The initiatives include a new RM175 million barrage at Sungai Muda, targeted for completion in 2027, which will replace an ageing structure from 1973 and improve water abstraction for both Penang and Kedah.
The functionality of the Expanded Mengkuang Dam will be significantly boosted by two final projects worth RM214 million, including a new pump house and a reversible pipeline.
These, expected to be ready by 2028, will allow for faster refilling of the dam, optimising its role as Penang’s primary backup water source.
Other projects include RM26.5 million in water intake works at Titi Kerawang and Teluk Awak to speed up the refilling of the Teluk Bahang Dam (due 2029), and RM419 million for raw water resource projects at Sungai Kerian, including feasibility studies for expanding the Bukit Panchor Dam and constructing an off-river storage scheme.
Pathmanathan said that these are standalone federal projects being undertaken in addition to PBAPP’s own RM2.1 billion Water Contingency Plan 2030 and the Perak-Penang Water Project.
He thanked the ministry for the support, reiterating that Penang is a “water-stressed state with limited water resources and unlimited socioeconomic potential” that requires such strategic investments.
