PENANG, Thursday, 26.9.2019 – News reports on water issues have helped to stop logging in Ulu Muda, prevent water pollution at Sungai Muda and re-initiate talks on the Sungai Perak Raw Water Transfer Scheme (SPRWTS).
As such, Penang Deputy Chief Minister 1 YB Dato’ Ir. Zaki Yuddin bin Abd. Rahman is encouraging the mass media to continue focusing on “water news” for the benefit of the people.
“If we look at the net results of news reports regarding Ulu Muda, Sungai Muda and the SPRWTS in 2018 and 2019, we can see that mass media reporting has helped to deliver some positive results, water-wise,” he said at the “PBAPP Media Night 2019” event in the E&O Hotel here today.
YB Dato’ Ir. Zaki Yuddin said news reports prompted the Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources (KATS) and Kedah to announce a ban logging in Ulu Muda in September 2018.
“Ulu Muda was a relatively unknown rainforest area in Kedah, until the mass media helped Penang and PBAPP to showcase its importance as the primary water catchment area for Perlis, Kedah and Penang,” he said.
He noted that a July 2019 news exposé on illegal waste dumping in Sidam Kiri, Kedah, also averted a water pollution threat to water supply in Penang.
He also thanked the mass media for highlighting Penang’s SPRWTS proposal. “I believe news regarding the SPRWTS has generated significant public interest on this matter. Public interest has, in turn, prompted KATS to pay attention to the SPRWTS proposal now, after the previous Federal Government failed to implement the scheme for 8 years.”
YB Dato’ Ir. Zaki Yuddin said water issues should be highlighted in the media and discussed openly in the spirit of “Malaysia Bersih”, with the people’s best interests at heart.
“So, please continue to help us in focusing the attention of the public, our neighbouring states and the Federal Government on the relevant facts and figures about water,” he said.
Award-winning Water News Stories 2018 – 2019
YB Dato’ Ir. Zaki Yuddin joined PBAPP and PBA Holdings Bhd CEO Dato’ Ir. Jaseni Maidinsa in handing out “thank you” awards to all the media, as well as special “water news awards” related to outstanding news reports in the period January 2018 to August 2019. (Please refer to “Appendix A” for the full list of winners).
Dato’ Ir. Jaseni thanked the Malaysian mass media for focusing on more and more “water news” in recent years. He said there were 5 good reasons for doing so:
- Every Malaysian needs and uses water every day. Therefore, water issues have a big impact on the lives of many people, regardless of their race or religion, age or social status.
- People, politicians and businesses will only care about water issues if they know and understand how these issues directly affect them.
- To convince more people to save water, and the national leaders to save forests as water catchment areas, we must remind them of the facts and figures, as well as explain why, when and how to do so.
- People will only react to a water threat if they are informed about it. Timely disclosures may help to avoid a water crisis. Even if a crisis is unavoidable, timely provision of information may minimise its impact.
- “Fake news” about water must be addressed constructively, to prevent wrong public perceptions and avoid panic.
“Today, we live in the age of mobile apps and instant social media; Internet TV and online shopping. And yet, in recent years, we still read news about water rationing affecting millions of Malaysians in several states,” Dato’ Ir. Jaseni said.
“So, I think we need more water news, to get more Malaysians to be more knowledgeable, more concerned and more talkative about water. By doing so, we may also motivate the Federal Government to act more decisively in helping us to manage water effectively, with good public service and sustainability in mind.
“We owe it to ourselves, our children and grandchildren to ensure ‘no water rationing’ in the Malaysia of the future,” he added.
