Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has expressed concern over the likelihood of weather conditions affecting water resources in the state.

Lim was referring to Natural Resources and Environment Minister G Palanivel’s statement yesterday that the likelihood of El Nino or prolonged warming in the Pacific Ocean, developing in the second half of this year, will worsen dry weather conditions.

Palanivel had said that the likelihood of El Nino was disclosed by the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre’s (ASMC) during a recent conference in Brunei and rainfall is expected to be below average for most parts of the southern region until the end of the south-west monsoon season in early October.

“I have asked Penang state secretary Farizan Darus to request a special briefing from Palanivel’s ministry to our state executive councillors on the likelihood of El Nino causing reduced rainfall until October this year,” Lim said in a statement.

“The unusually long drought has caused water rationing to be imposed not only in Selangor and Johor but also in Taiping, the wettest town in peninsular Malaysia,” he added.

Lim has proposed raising water tariffs, as suggested by the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP), by this year to address the wastage of water by Penangites.

Although it is inevitable that water tariffs will be raised, Lim gave an assurance that Penang will still have the cheapest water rate.

He had said that Penang’s high domestic usage of water of 311 litres per capita per day, 50 percent higher than the national average of 212 litres per capita per day, was simply not sustainable.

“Under such challenging circumstances, we cannot continue with business as usual,” said Lim, who is PBAPP chairperson.

“The Penang government has to act responsibly to take preventive measures to avoid water rationing,” he added.

While saying these, Lim had chided the mainstream media, like the pro-BN New Straits Times , for politicising the state’s decision to raise water tariffs to avoid water rationing.

He accused the newspapers of not giving more space to the Penang government’s justification to raise water tariffs by this year.

Ruse to distract from PBAPP’s financial status?

Penang Gerakan has taken Lim to task for training his guns at the media, with state secretary Oh Tong Keong expressing shock at Lim’s behaviour.

Oh said Lim should instead acknowledge that the hike could be a ruse to address the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP)’s financial challenges.

“I am surprised that Lim, as a politician, is himself politicising the issue. It is ridiculous that he puts the blame on the media,” said Oh in a press statement.

“Lim’s high-key accusation of the media showed that he was afraid to address the question on PBA’s financial status,” said Oh.

“To him, it is always the media’s fault. He never does anything wrong. That is his standard practice,” Oh added.

Oh said that the previous Barisan Nasional state government had five-year and 10-year plans to cope with future water demands, expand water storage, or even to construct new water dams.

He asked where is the Pakatan Rakyat state government’s plan to cope with the increasing population’s water needs and how to conserve water usage since coming to power in 2008.

Last week, Oh had asked Lim to explain whether the need to increase water tariff in Penang was due to over-expenditure because of a “surplus of directors”.

“Lim, who is also chairperson of PBAPP, should inform the people whether payment of allowances to the directors in the PBA board warranted an increase in water tariff, which would only burden the people,” Oh added.