TAPS project to reduce Melaka's dependence on raw water supply from other states - PM

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the move was aimed at reducing Melaka's dependence on raw water supply from other states, such as Johor and Negeri Sembilan.

"The federal government has approved an allocation of RM350 million through the Ministry of Environment and Water (KASA) for the construction of the TAPS in Tasik Biru to increase the number of raw water supply sources in the state.

"As a long-term solution, the federal government had also approved a sum of RM150 million under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) for the channelling of raw water from the TAPS to Jus Dam here, which is expected to be completed by 2028," he said when launching the Chin Chin 3 Compact Water Treatment Plant here today.

He said the federal government is also in the midst of implementing the TAPS project involving the raw water in Jernih Dam in Alor Gajah with an allocation of RM234.7 million which is expected to be completed in 2026.

Other than the TAPS project, Ismail Sabri said a sum of RM600 million had also been approved by the government through the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) for the construction of the dual-function pool in Krubong for flood mitigation and water resources.

He said the project is to upgrade the existing flood mitigation pool to a dual-function pool to solve the flooding that often occurs in the downstream areas of Sungai Melaka, while at the same time serving as a storage pool for raw water supply before it is channelled to the Durian Tunggal Dam.

The Prime Minister said the federal government will always support the state government's efforts, including in carrying out projects and studies to increase the state's raw water resources if it continues to be mandated in the 15th General Election (GE15).

"This includes a feasibility study of Phase 3 of the Sungai Muar Raw Water Transfer Project to accommodate the increasing demands of Malaysian families in Melaka.

"The implementation of the project is important in line with Melaka's development as the country's main tourist destination that guarantees the continuous generation of revenue and economic growth," he said.

Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said the government also supports the efforts of Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad (SAMB) to continue the floating solar panel project at the Phase 2 Water Treatment Plant at Jus Dam here if the same project at the Durian Tunggal Dam is successfully implemented.

He said the renewable project approved by the state government was to study the feasibility of installing floating solar panels on the surface of the water with a capacity of 150 megawatts at the Durian Tunggal Dam to generate electricity for SAMB operations.

"The implementation of the solar energy project is also in line with the government's aspiration towards achieving the status of a Net Zero Carbon Nation by 2050," he said.

On the Chin Chin 3 Compact Water Treatment Plant, Ismail Sabri said it would benefit more than 100,000 Malaysian families in Melaka, especially in the Jasin and Merlimau districts.

He said the construction of the plant cost RM40 million and it is one of SAMB's initiatives to help the state government and the people who had suffered drought and water rationing from January to March 2020.

The plant operates using a raw water supply from Tasik Biru which is a former mine that is no longer in use.