We refer to the Malaysiakini report 'Don't destroy Bukit Larut' and the letter Fomca, please leave our beloved Taiping alone .

According to Malaysian Water Industry Guide, 100 percent of raw water from the state of Perak comes from river and upstream catchments.

It is also observed that Perak has among highest water tariff compared to many other developed states in peninsular Malaysia up to 20 cubic meters. The percentage of non-revenue water recorded is around 30 percent in Perak.

Comparing water supply operating expenditures in Selangor and Johor, Perak still scores a much lower value.

The recently proposed development of a cable car project in Bukit Larut, Taiping is a risk being taken by the Perak government.

We were informed that the measures to protect this hill started way back in 1997 by the Taiping Consumer Association, ERA Consumer and many members of the public.

A biological management study was conducted and published on Bukit Larut by Fomca and the World Wildlife Fund.

The impact of global warming on national water security is vague and still uncertain. Proposed projects such as these pose a further danger to raw water security.

For a state with abundant clean, raw water and low operating cost, their water tariffs are still too high. If such developments go on rampantly, consumers will be further burdened with an increase in tariff.

This tariff increase will be due to failure of raw water management (water sources) by the Perak government.

Forum Air Malaysia as a organisation that advises the Water Services Commission (Span) would like to urge Span and state governments to ensure all that all water catchment areas are not exposed to any kind of development.

This can be done by permanently gazetting all water catchment areas from any type of development. Ensuring good raw water quality can reduce operational cost and eventually result in a more equitable tariff to the consumer.

We hope the Perak government will protect all its water catchment areas with respect to the basic human right to have access to water.

Loss in raw water quality results in an increase to operational cost. This is basic economics.

The writer is president, Forum Air Malaysia.