The Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) was miffed with a newspaper report that it conducted water rationing in the state last year.

PBAPP chief executive officer Jaseni Maidinsa said Penang had never rationed water and the report by Malay Mail (print version) is inaccurate.

“My statement is very clear: we highlighted the Super El Nino experience in 2014, when there was a dry season from January to March,” he said at a press conference in Komtar.

“The PBAPP had always planned not to have water rationing. We plan to avoid water rationing and not the other way around.

“I have no idea why the newspaper would want to say we have done water rationing,” he added.

Jaseni was referring to the Malay Mail report yesterday titled 'Penang water utility on ‘supply alert’ to curb rationing', where he was quoted as saying that the dry spell could last up to 100 days and people should start conserving water.

He was quoted as saying that the arid conditions could be equal to that of 2014, when water rationing had to be carried out in several states, “including Penang”.

Use water wisely to avoid shortage

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who was present at the press conference, also insisted that Penang never carried out any water rationing activities.

In 2014 and last year, when other states, including Johor, and the wettest town in Malaysia - Taiping - started water rationing, Lim warned “heads would roll” in the PBAPP if it does the same.

In his statement yesterday, Jaseni assured that the effective capacities of the Air Itam and Mengkuang dams were “healthy” as they continue to draw water as usual from Sungai Muda river.

He said the Penang government directive was clear, and PBAPP was willing to do anything to avoid rationing.

He urged the public to do their part by conserving water, and use water wisely to avoid water shortage as the state faces the Super El Nino threat.

“Faced with a double threat of very little rainfall and temperature soaring to 40°C, we can expect lower water levels at Sungai Muda, and higher vapour rates at Penang dams,” he said.