Johor: Johor's water service provider, Ranhill SAJ Sdn Bhd, is offering a 15 per cent rebate on May water bills to all consumers affected by the recent water supply disruption. Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi stated that the rebate will benefit 155,074 accounts, covering both domestic and non-domestic categories, including individual residences, houses of worship, welfare institutions, business premises, and industries.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the rebate initiative aims to provide relief to those impacted by the disruption. During a session at the State Legislative Assembly at Kota Iskandar, Onn Hafiz expressed hope that this measure would alleviate some burdens faced by the affected consumers. Furthermore, he announced the establishment of a task force to prevent future occurrences of similar incidents.

The disruption, as previously reported, was due to unexpected damage to the main pumps supplying the Sungai Johor Water Treatment Plant on June 20. This incident resulted in the cessation of over 318 million litres of treated water per day to the Johor Bahru and Iskandar Puteri regions, impacting more than 100,000 consumer accounts. The water supply was fully restored on June 24.

Onn Hafiz issued an apology to those affected by the disruption, acknowledging the significant impact on daily life and operations of schools, hospitals, and businesses. He personally intervened on May 22 to provide explanations and initiate early actions to address the issue in the Johor Bahru district.

The state government directed Ranhill SAJ to promptly repair the damaged water pump and mobilize necessary resources to mitigate public hardship. During the disruption, 42 water tankers, 51 static tanks, and 13,000 cartons of mineral water were deployed to assist the affected areas.