OFFICIAL PORTAL
PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT
NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AGENCY
PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT
NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AGENCY
KUALA LUMPUR: Thirty-six water treatment plants across the country, particularly in Johor and near Singapore, have seen a significant drop in yield, according to National Water Services Commission (SPAN) studies involving 150 of the facilities.
SPAN chairman Charles Santiago said this decline can be traced back to the increasing challenges faced by the country’s rivers, which has worsened, and their ability to support water treatment operations has diminished due to deforestation and pollution.
“This is particularly concerning, as 81% of Malaysia’s drinking water comes from rivers, with only 18% sourced from dams and a small percentage from underground reservoirs.
“The strain on our river systems highlights the urgent need for action to protect and restore these vital water sources,” he told delegates at the Siemens Data Centre Conference entitled “Shaping the Future of Data Centres in Malaysia” on Thursday.
Santiago said Malaysia could experience up to 200 heatwave days annually by 2050, which would pose significant challenges to water security, agriculture and public health.
He said Malaysia is already feeling the impacts of rising temperatures, erratic weather patterns and an increasing frequency of environmental disasters.
“Malaysia is no stranger to the escalating climate emergency, a crisis that continues to intensify with each passing year. According to the latest report from the World Meteorological Organisation, Asia is heating up faster than the global average, making it the most disaster-prone region due to extreme weather and climate hazards. There is an urgent need for adaptive measures to safeguard the country’s vital resources and infrastructure.”
Santiago said water scarcity, in particular, is becoming a critical challenge. Rising temperatures are leading to faster evaporation, depleting reservoirs and reducing freshwater availability.
“This threatens daily water consumption and impacts industries such as farming and energy production, which rely heavily on stable water resources. Without urgent action, Malaysia could face severe disruptions, forcing communities and businesses to rethink how they use and manage water in an increasingly unpredictable climate,” he added.
Santiago questioned the necessity of using potable water for the liquid cooling process for data centres. “What are we using in the data centres? We are using potable water. Now, this is a disaster in the making. And it is highly unsustainable.
“So, in the next three to five years, there must be a transition towards sustainable water management. This includes reclaiming water, rainwater harvesting, and, if feasible, desalination. Additionally, stormwater presents a viable option, especially in Malaysia, where frequent flooding is a reality,” he said.
Malaysia must urgently transition to sustainable water solutions, particularly for data centres, Santiago said..
“The use of stormwater, for instance, can be scaled up to meet the growing demand. With the possibility of prolonged droughts lasting up to five months, it is essential to adapt to such challenges.
“Much of the country’s water, including rainwater and river water, comes from rainfall. What flows into the catchment areas and rivers constitutes 81% of the water we rely on for consumption. Therefore, managing this water effectively is crucial for the future.”
Santiago said that given the uncertainty of weather projections in Malaysia, including the possibility of droughts lasting three to four months, using potable water for data centres is not a sustainable long-term solution.
“As the digital economy grows, it is essential to transition to alternative water sources, and this shift must be mandatory. To encourage this transition, a timeline should be set – perhaps three years – with a requirement that a certain percentage of water used by data centres must come from sustainable sources,” according to him.
Santiago said companies such as Microsoft and Amazon Web Services in California, the United States, are already committed to using 50% rainwater harvesting and 50% reclaimed water, setting a clear standard.
“Malaysia, however, is currently relying entirely on potable water, and this must change,” he stressed.
SIBU (Feb 17): The Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) has applied for RM7 million in disaster relief fund to carry out a sheet piling project at the landslide affected areas in Rantau Panjang here.
The council, in an emergency meeting held recently, had submitted the request for the funding from the state government, said its chairman Clarence Ting.
“The affected residents expressed hope for SMC to address the issue quickly.
“As it (project) involves structural matters, we will leave it to the engineers on the technical aspects and designs decisions of the project.
“We are taking this issue very seriously, and we will push things through,” he told reporters when met at the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Pelawan’s New Year Gala dinner here on Saturday, which had Deputy Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Sarawak Datuk Michael Tiang as its guest-of-honour.
It is informed that a total of 38 residents from eight houses at Lorong Rantau Panjang Jaya in Teku here were affected by the landslide, which struck on Feb 4.
Additionally, Ting said the council had also applied for a fund under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) to elevate the level of roads at Pulau Li Hua here.
The SUPP Pelawan chairman added that the installation of new pumping stations at Kampung Nangka here, as part of the Sibu flood mitigation project, had helped reduce the risk of flooding in the area.
New Delhi dilanda gempa 4.0 magnitud
- Admin UKK
- Berita
INDIA: Penduduk di New Delhi, India dikejutkan dengan gempa 4.0 magnitud yang melanda pada jam 5.36 pagi waktu tempatan.
Pusat Seismologi Kebangsaan mendedahkan, gegaran dikesan pada kedalaman 5 kilometer di Dhaula Kuan.
Perdana Menteri Narendra Modi dalam kenyataan di media sosial menggesa penduduk agar kekal tenang dan mengikuti garis panduan serta langkah berjaga-jaga dengan kemungkinan berlakunya gempa susulan.
Gempa 4.0 magnitud juga dilaporkan berlaku di wilayah Bihar pada jam 8.02 pagi waktu tempatan.
Tiada kerosakan teruk atau kecederaan dilaporkan setakat ini. – NEWS18
KUCHING: Lima sekolah rendah di empat daerah di Sarawak masih belum dibenarkan beroperasi pada hari pertama persekolahan hari ini, akibat banjir yang melanda daerah berkenaan awal bulan ini.
Pengarah Pendidikan Sarawak, Omar Mahli berkata, walaupun banjir di daerah terbabit semakin pulih, namun operasi di sekolah itu tidak dapat dijalankan, susulan banyak kelengkapan sekolah yang rosak teruk.
Beliau berkata, ketika ini semua sesi pengajaran dan pembelajaran di sekolah terbabit dilaksana menggunakan kaedah Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran di Rumah (PdPR).
Jelasnya, pembersihan di sekolah terbabit dijangka akan dilakukan dalam minggu ini, bergantung kepada keadaan semasa banjir di kawasan terlibat.
“Kita telah mengenal pasti kerosakan yang telah dilaporkan dan kita juga telah menurunkan peruntukan kepada pihak PPD untuk membantu sekolah membuat perolehan bagi kerosakan yang melibatkan kerusi dan meja.
“Sebenarnya, banyak lagi kerosakan lain, tetapi keutamaan kita adalah kerusi dan meja terlebih dahulu supaya mereka dapat belajar. Pada masa yang sama, kita akan lakukan pembaikan dari semasa ke semasa,” katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian ketika ditemui selepas meninjau sesi hari pertama persekolahan 2025 di Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Jalan Haji Baki, Kuching.
Lima sekolah terbabit termasuk Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Kampung Plid, SK Saint Luke di Dalat, SK Kuala Kenyana di Mukah, SK Kuala Muput di Tatau, dan SK Ulu Kabo di Saratok.
Bagi sesi akademik 2025/2026, seramai 453,804 murid di Sarawak memulakan sesi pengajaran dan pembelajaran yang membabitkan murid peringkat prasekolah, sekolah rendah dan sekolah menengah.
Daripada jumlah itu, 32,765 murid akan memulakan pembelajaran di Tahun Satu di 1,266 buah sekolah rendah di seluruh wilayah berkenaan.
Pengurusan sekolah diminta menangguhkan aktiviti di luar bilik darjah jika cuaca panas melebihi 35 darjah Celsius bagi mengelak kejadian tidak diingini berikutan musim panas ketika ini.
Pengarah Pendidikan Terengganu, Jelani Sulong, berkata pihak sekolah juga diminta memaklumkan kepada ibu bapa supaya membekalkan minuman secukupnya kepada murid dalam keadaan cuaca sedemikian.
“Selain itu, pengetua dan guru besar diminta sentiasa mengikuti perkembangan cuaca dari semasa ke semasa dikeluarkan Jabatan Meteorologi (Metmalaysia),” katanya kepada media ketika melawat Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Chong Hwa Wakaf Tapai, di sini, semalam.
Jelani yang turut menyantuni pelajar Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Bukit Sawa, memaklumkan seramai 256,869 pelajar rendah dan menengah memulakan sesi sesi akademik 2025/2026 di 506 sekolah seluruh negeri, semalam.
“Daripada jumlah itu, seramai 149,314 adalah murid sekolah rendah, 107,555 pelajar sekolah menengah. Jumlah murid Tahun Satu sesi akademik 2025/2026 juga meningkat kepada 23,254 berbanding 22,126 pada sesi lalu.
“Tiada proses pengajaran dan pembelajaran (PDP) selama satu minggu bermula hari ini (semalam), hanya sesi orientasi atau takruf untuk memastikan proses penyesuaian murid kepada persekitaran sekolah,” katanya.
Di Kota Bharu, Timbalan Pengarah Pendidikan Kelantan (Sektor Perancangan dan Pengurusan Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah), Mat Lazim Mohammad menasihatkan murid memakai pelitup muka dan minum air mencukupi sepanjang musim panas ini.
Galak pakai pelitup muka
Beliau yang ditemui media ketika hadir di Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Sultan Ismail 1 sempena hari pertama sesi 2025/2026, berkata pihaknya sentiasa akan merujuk Metmalaysia bagi mendapatkan maklumat terkini berhubung situasi musim panas.
“Sekarang sudah mula cuaca panas dan kami galakkan murid memakai pelitup muka dan bawa air mencukupi. Walaupun tidak diwajibkan, pemakaian pelitup muka digalakkan kerana cuaca panas boleh mengakibatkan demam, batuk dan selesema.
“Sebarang perkembangan dari semasa ke semasa akan dimaklumkan oleh pihak sekolah kepada ibu bapa melalui siaran atau saluran yang ada,” katanya menambah aktiviti luar bilik darjah akan dikurangkan dengan fokus kepada pembelajaran dalam kelas.
Katanya, jika cuaca panas semakin serius, pihak kementerian mempunyai kit kesihatan, termasuk mengandungi pelitup muka yang akan diagihkan kepada sekolah terjejas.