Baling: The Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) is taking a serious view of the slow progress of the Sungai Limau Water Treatment Plant (WTP) project in Baling, which has reportedly made no progress since July last year.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Deputy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir stated during his third visit to the WTP project site today that all the components that needed to be built were still unfinished even though the project started in 2021. He noted, "The project began in 2021, and there are 15 components that need to be built at the plant site. But none of these components have been completed and some have not even started yet."

Akmal Nasrullah highlighted that work has been halted since last July, prompting the ministry to seriously consider steps to address the situation. This statement followed his visit to the Sungai Pendang Flood Mitigation Plan (RTB) after earlier inspections of the Sungai Limau WTP project in Baling and the Jenun Baru WTP in Pendang.

In response to the situation, Akmal Nasrullah mentioned that the ministry held a meeting and decided to terminate the services of the contractors involved in the Sungai Limau WTP project. "Currently, the administrative matters are being handled at the state level, and right now, we need to first decide (to terminate) the old contractor before appointing a new one," he said.

He expressed concern that the delay could increase the construction cost of the WTP and impact water supply for residents in the area. Meanwhile, he reported that the Jenun Baru WTP project was progressing as planned, with hopes for its completion by mid-year.