KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said Malaysia’s abundance of water and energy resources has made the country an attractive destination for data centre, semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI) investors.
For that reason, Anwar said the water and energy portfolios were placed under Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof as they are “too strategic for the country”.
“If we ask investors, their first two reasons are usually water and energy, and professional workforce is only the third reason.
“We cannot defend our credibility as a peaceful and competent country if we cannot resolve basic issues such as energy and water,” he said at the official launch of the Langat 2 water treatment plant (LRA) at Hulu Langat, Selangor today.
The prime minister also stressed the need to upgrade old pipes to reduce non-revenue water and prepare for droughts by exploring modern, water-efficient technologies.
Constructed to meet rising demand in the Klang Valley, the Langat 2 water treatment plant can now treat up to 1,130 million litres of water per day (MLD) from Sungai Semantan in Pahang.
The raw water is channelled from Sungai Semantan through a 44.6-kilometre tunnel across the Titiwangsa Range to Hulu Langat.
The Langat 2 facility will supply treated water to the Western Corridor (KL City Centre, South KL, Petaling, Sungai Besi, Kinrara and Puchong) and the Northern Corridor (Ampang, North KL from Wangsa Maju to Maluri, Keramat and Gombak).
The RM4.2 billion project was funded and developed by Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd (PAAB).
The plant is equipped with modern technologies including the Granular Activated Carbon double filtration system, a lamella clarifier inclined plate settler, and real-time monitoring through the supervisory control and data acquisition system.
It also incorporates environmentally friendly processes such as static mixing, zero discharge, and hosts Malaysia’s first and longest pipe conveyor system for water treatment residual.
Fadillah, who was also present at the launch, said Malaysia’s water supply access stood at 97 per cent in 2024 while the water reserve margin in the peninsula and Labuan was at a satisfactory 14.9 per cent.
He added that Malaysia aims to develop local water technologies that meet international standards under the Water Sector Transformation Plan 2040, as well as explore the use of recycled water for non-food industries.
