The Never-Ending Water Supply Scenario: A Case Study in Kelantan

Abstract

Water is essential for human sustainability and health, thus it being one of the main targets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, poor water management and subsequently water quality are common problems amongst developing countries including Malaysia. In Malaysia, the jurisdiction over raw water supply falls under the state governments where the daily operations of supplying raw water is assigned or single handled by state-owned utility companies. In addition, every state has the moral and social obligations to provide equal water quality and services to each individual. The quality of water for human consumption must adhere and satisfy the minimum standards provided. However, in the state of Kelantan, the supply of water is managed by Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd (AKSB), a state-owned water company, who continuously receive numerous complaints throughout the years and the water supply issue in the state fail to be solved. Complaints inclusive of the lack of clean water supply and not evenly distributed as well as low quality of supply. Thus, this article focuses on the general overview of the water supply governance in Malaysia and states as well that perhaps contributed to the scenario of unsatisfactory water service industry in Kelantan. Accordingly, this article adopts a qualitative approach in reviewing existing literatures on the subject matter; policies, government documents and research papers. Early findings indicated that the problems are far more complex caused by numerous factors including old piping, lack of monitoring, monetary and high non-revenue water. Overall, this paper would help the state decision makers and stakeholders in identifying the root causes before conducting or introducing any policy intervention in the state.