Engineer Magazine

WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN MALAYSIA –THE WAY FORWARD

ACHIEVING WORLD CLASS WATER UTILITYCOMPANY STANDARD

INTEGRATED RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT

ACCREDITED CHECKERS REGISTRATION

GUIDELINES FOR AN ENGINEER TAKING OVERTHE WORK OF ANOTHER

MANAGING FLOOD PROBLEMS IN MALAYSIA

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THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS MALAYSIA LEMBAGA JURUTERA MALAYSIA

KDN PP11720/9/2003 ISSN 0128-4347 VOL.22 JUNE-AUGUST 2004 RM10.00

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2 President’s MessageEditor’s Note

4 Announcement

BEM News6 BEM Dinner

Cover Feature8 Water Resources Management In Malaysia –

The Way Forward12 Achieving World Class Water Utility

Company Standard21 Integrated River Basin Management

Update24 Accredited Checkers Registration25 UNEP Freshwater Unit

Professional Practice26 Guidelines For An Engineer Taking Over The Work

Of Another

Engineering & Law29 Work Programme – A Contractual Perspective

(Part 2)

Management34 The Managerial Function Of Control For

Consulting Engineers

Feature38 Managing Flood Problems In Malaysia

44 What Is Water Policy And What Is Its Purpose

48 Getting To Know The National SewerageConcessionaire (Series I)

Engineering Nostalgia56 That which was... Jalan Bukit Bintang &

Bukit Aman

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Editor’s Note


Members of the Board of Engineers Malaysia(BEM) 2003/2004

PresidentYBhg. Tan Sri Dato’ Ir. Hj Zaini Omar

RegistrarIr. Ashari bin Mohd Yakub

SecretaryIr. Dr. Judin bin Abdul Karim

Members of BEMYBhg. Tan Sri Dato’ Ir. Md Radzi bin Mansor

YBhg. Datuk Ir. Santhakumar SivasubramaniamYBhg. Dato’ Ir. Dr. Hj. Abdul Rashid bin Maidin

YBhg. Datu Ir. Hubert Thian Chong HuiYBhg. Dato’ Ir. Ashok Kumar SharmaYBhg. Datuk Ir. Md Sidek bin AhmadYBhg. Datuk Ir. Hj. Keizrul Abdullah

YBhg. Dato’ Ir. Kok Soo ChonIr. Ho Jin WahIr. Yim Hon Wa

Ir. Prof. Ow Chee ShengIr. Mohd Aman bin Hj Idris

Ir. Hj. Abu Bakar bin Che’ ManIr. Prof. Abang Abdullah bin Abang Ali

Tuan Hj. Basar bin JuraimiAr. Paul Lai Chu

Editorial Board

AdvisorYBhg. Tan Sri Dato’ Ir. Hj Zaini Omar

ChairmanYBhg Datuk Ir. Shanthakumar Sivasubramaniam

EditorIr. Fong Tian Yong

MembersYBhg. Dato’ Ir. Ashok Kumar SharmaIr. Prof. Madya Dr. Eric Goh Kok Hoe

Ir. Prof. Ishak bin Abdul RahmanIr. Prof. Dr. Ruslan HassanIr. Prof. Dr. K. S. Kannan

Ir. Nitchiananthan BalasubramaniamIr. Mustaza bin Hj. SalimIr. Md Amir bin KasimIr. Dr Lee Say ChongIr. Chan Boon TeikIr. Choo Kok Beng

Publication OfficerPn. Nik Kamaliah bt. Nik Abdul Rahman

Assistant Publication OfficerPn. Che Asiah bt. Mohamad Ali

Design and ProductionInforeach Communications Sdn Bhd

Buletin Ingenieur is published by the Board ofEngineers Malaysia (Lembaga Jurutera Malaysia)

and is distributed free of charge to registeredProfessional Engineers.

The statements and opinions expressed in thispublication are those of the writers.

BEM invites all registered engineers to contributearticles or send their views and comments to the

following address:

Publication CommitteeLembaga Jurutera Malaysia,Tingkat 17, Ibu Pejabat JKR

Kompleks Kerja Raya Malaysia,Jalan Sultan Salahuddin

50580 Kuala LumpurTel: 03-2698 0590 Fax: 03-2692 5017

E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] site: http://www.bem.org.my

Advertising/SubscriptionsSubscription Form is on page 54

Advertisement Form is on page 55

President’s Message

There are a host of activities relating to waterwithin the country. Firstly, 2003 was declared the“International Year of Freshwater” by the UNGeneral Assembly. Recently the “1st Malaysia WaterWeek” was hosted in June 2004 with seminars andexhibitions. This will be followed by anotherseminar on “Water and Waste Water Technologies”to be held in August 2004.

The prominence given to water can beunderstandable given the current concerns, globally and nationally.Water, as the most essential of life-sustaining elements, provides formankind not only drinking water and sanitation, but also water fortransport, food, fish, recreation, energy, irrigation and industrialprocesses and so on.

The recent restructuring of Government Ministries to place water-related departments under one Ministry, namely water supply,sewerage, drainage and river signifies the focus of the nation towardsintegration of water resources management . With this, the nationexpects greater expertise and innovation from the engineeringfraternity to support the Malaysian Water Vision 2025 to conserveand manage its water resources to ensure adequate and safe waterfor all, including the environment.

TAN SRI DATO’ Ir. HJ. ZAINI BIN OMARPresidentBOARD OF ENGINEERS MALAYSIA

The article on OSC which appeared in the December2003 issue of Buletin Ingenieur has proven effectivein informing Professional Engineers of the newsubmitting procedure for Building Plan and CFOthrough the One Stop Centre. From inquiries receivedand comments gathered on the ground, views and

suggestions sent to the Buletin Ingenieur will be of great help as weunderstand that the relevant authority is planning to review andimprove the guidelines on OSC.

On matters relating to publication, the publication committeehas lately re-examined its role and decided to expand is functions toother areas such as publication of information booklets, BEMguidelines and compilation of published articles. Suggestions andviews on this matter are invited.

Ir. Fong Tian YongEditor

KDN PP11720/9/2003 ISSN 0128-4347 VOL. 22 JUNE-AUG 2004

Announcement

Conference onAutomation andComputer Networks(CACN) 2004

Date:July 22-23, 2004

Venue:Putra World Trade Centre,Kuala Lumpur

Organiser:Association of ConsultingEngineers Malaysia (ACEM) &Electrical and ElectronicsAssociation of Malaysia (TEEAM)

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PublicationCalendar

The following list is thePublication Calendar forthe year 2004. While wenormally seek contributionsfrom experts for eachspecial theme, we are alsopleased to accept articlesrelevant to themes listed.

Please contact the Editor orthe Publication Officer inadvance if you would liketo make such contributionsor to discuss details anddeadlines.

September 2004: ENVIRONMENTDecember 2004: FACILITY MANAGEMENTMarch 2005: CONSTRUCTION LIABILITY


The Board of Engineers Malaysia is introducing an Accredited Checker Registration in geotechnicaland/or structural engineering works in line with the Section 10B of the Registration of AccreditedChecker, Registration of Engineers Act 1967 (Revised 2002).

Several seminar roadshows on Registration of Accredited Checkers are planned throughout Malaysia.All registered professional engineers are invited to attend the Accredited Checkers Seminar scheduledas follows:

State Venue Date Status

Kuala Lumpur Bunga Room, Pan Pacific Hotel Kuala Lumpur 10/7/2004 Confirmed

Pulau Pinang Equatorial Hotel, Pulau Pinang 24/7/2004 Confirmed

Johor Puteri Pan Pacific Hotel, Johor Bahru 12/8/2004 Tentative

Kuching Merdeka Palace Hotel, Kuching 13/8/2004 Confirmed

Kota Kinabalu Promenade Hotel, Kota Kinabalu 14/8/2004 Confirmed

Terengganu Grand Continental Hotel, Kuala Terengganu To be advised Tentative

Kuala Lumpur Pan Pacific Hotel Kuala Lumpur To be advised Tentative

Participants will be charged a nominal fee of RM50 each. All interested participants are requested tofill in the registration form and return it to the Board two weeks prior to the event.

ACCREDITED CHECKERS SEMINAR/ROADSHOWS

Accredited Checkers �� Day SeminarI/we would like to register for the above seminar.

I/we enclosed payment amounting to *RM ____________________ by cheque/bank draft/money order/postal order ________________ payable to Board of Engineers Malaysia. Please add 0.50 cent foroutstation cheque.

Name: ..........................................................................................................................................................................................

Professional Engineer Registration No.: ............................................................................................................................

Designation : ......................................................................................................................................................................

Company : ......................................................................................................................................................................

Address : ......................................................................................................................................................................

Telephone : ......................................................................................................................................................................

Facsimile : ......................................................................................................................................................................

E-mail : ......................................................................................................................................................................

Contact Person : ......................................................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................Name:Date:

Terms & Conditions• Confirmation and reservation will be on first-come-first-serve basis.• Any cancellation or replacement must be conveyed to the Accredited Checkers Secretariat before the

deadline.• Paid registration is not refundable for any cancellation made after deadline.• All completed forms should reach the address below two weeks prior to the event.*Participants will be charged a fee of RM50 each.

Accredited Checkers SecretariatBoard of Engineers MalaysiaTingkat 17, Ibu Pejabat JKRKompleks Kerja Raya MalaysiaJalan Sultan Salahuddin50580 Kuala LumpurTel: 03-2698 0590 / 03-2696 7095 Fax: 03-2692 5017E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected]: www.bem.org.my

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Update


Following the collapse of Block 1, Highland Tower apartmentson December 11, 1993, the Cabinet decided to implementseveral corrective and preventive actions.

Malaysian authorities have been instructed to look intovarious legislations that regulate the building industry in thecountry. After careful study of the various Acts, the Ministryof Housing and Local Government found that the Street,Drainage and Building Act 1974 needs to be amended totighten control of building development especiallydevelopment on hill slopes.

The Ministry has decided to revise the Street, Drainageand Building Act 1974 and Uniform Building By-laws 1984 toaddress the need for Accredited Checkers to enhance the safetyaspect of geotechnical and structural engineering works atthe design and/or construction stage of a project.

The Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) has taken theinitiative to amend the Registration of Engineers Act 1967 tointroduce a registration of Accredited Checkers on geotechnicaland structural engineering works. This in line with the requestfrom the Ministry of Housing and Local Government tomaintain a list of Accredited Checkers for the purpose ofchecking structural and geotechnical engineering works toensure safety of buildings.

What Is Accredited Checker?

An Accredited Checker means a person registered underSection 10B, Registration of Engineers (Amendment) Act 2002[Act A1158].

The Accredited Checker who shall be an independentchecker*, is required to check the safety aspect of geotechnicaland structural engineering works at the design and/orconstruction stage of a project done by another engineer andas and when called for by local authorities.

* shall preserve his independence and has no professional or financialinterest in the said building checked by him/her.

Why Accredited Checker?

One of the measures to prevent structural failures on hillsites is to require the geotechnical and structural designs forbuildings to be checked by an Accredited Checker.

The Accredited Checker could be appointed at thebeginning of the project to enable the Accredited Checker towork alongside the design engineer. An Accredited Checkercould be appointed at any stage as ordered by a local authorityfor a new project.

Who Can Apply?

An Accredited Checker shall:i) be a Professional Engineer registered under the Act in

the civil, structural or geotechnical engineering discipline;

Accredited Checkers Registration

ii) have at least 10 years relevant practical experience inthe design or construction of buildings;

iii) have practical experience in one of the following:a) Geotechnical

1) Foundations;2) Retaining Systems and Reinforced Soil Structures;

and3) Slope Engineering and Embankments

b) Structural1) Buildings greater than five storeys;2) Buildings of unconventional construction with span

greater than 10 metres; and3) Buildings adjacent to existing buildings with

complex interaction;iv) by virtue of his/her ability, standing in the profession or

special knowledge or practical experience in civil,structural or geotechnical engineering he/she is deservingof such registration, provideda) during the period seven years immediately preceding

the date of his/her application, has been engaged ingeotechnical or structural design after registration asProfessional Engineer; and

b) for a continuous period of one year immediatelypreceding the date of his/her application, has had suchpractical experience in the relevant field gained inMalaysia; and

v) have attended and passed the interview conducted bythe Accredited Checkers Committee.

How To Apply?

All applications shalli. be made in Form B3; (obtainable from BEM’s office or

www.bem.org.my)ii. be accompanied by a copy of CV on the qualifications and

practical experience highlighting the specific areas and levelof responsibilities involved in the project(s);

iii. be accompanied by three copies of actual design or reviewreport done by the applicant; and

iv. be accompanied by a processing fee of RM50 and aregistration fee of RM300 in money order/bank draft/chequemade payable to the Board of Engineers Malaysia

All inquiries pertaining to the Registration of AccreditedCheckers shall be submitted to:Registration DepartmentBoard of Engineers MalaysiaTingkat 17, Ibu Pejabat JKRKompleks Kerja Raya MalaysiaJalan Sultan Salahuddin, 50580 Kuala LumpurTel: 603-2696 7095/96/97/98 Fax: 603-2692 5017e-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]: www.bem.org.my

BEM

Update


FUNCTIONS

● Promote integrated management and use offreshwaters,

● Enhance environmental quality and● Promote environmentally-sustainable socio-

economic development.

In fulfilling this Mission, the Freshwater Unit is continuingits fundamental work in promoting the integratedmanagement and use of freshwater resources ininternational drainage basins and in facilitatingdevelopment of training materials and courses thatcontribute to this Mission. UNEP has been designated bythe UN Secretary General as the UN agency withresponsibility for global mandates for water. Within thismandate, the Mission of the Freshwater Unit is to providetools and advice.

OPERATION

The Freshwater Unit facilitates the environmentally-sustainable management and use of freshwater resources,particularly for internationally-shared water resources.It is also:

Developing And Conducting International,

Regionally-Focused Workshops On:

● The application of region-specific and practicaleconomic instrumentals,

● Eutrophication and non point source pollution controltechniques for management of freshwater resources,and

● The reduction of pollution impacts of miningactivities.

These workshops and related training materials and textsprovide countries with a range of techniques to addressthe water-specific issues of sustainable development.

Completing Comprehensive Scientific Reviews Of

The Major Geochemical Cycles,

including assessment of their impacts on freshwaterresources, to enhance environmental quality worldwide.

UNEP Freshwater UnitSubmitted by Lim Juay Jin

Collaborative Efforts To Identify, Assess And

Promote Appropriate Technologies

for freshwater augmentation and drinking waterprotection on a regional basis are being carried out inassociation with UNEP’s International EnvironmentTechnology Centre (IETC) and other United Nationsagencies.

The Freshwater Unit also undertaking collaborativeefforts with UNEP’s Oceans and Coasteal Areas Unit tointegrated planning activities in freshwater drainagebasins and the coastal areas into which they drain. Initialefforts focus on the East Asian Regional Seas Programmeactivity area and are of particular significance togovernments in the context of the assessment andcontrol of land-based sources of aquatic pollutionprovisions of the United Nations Convention of the Lawof Sea.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

● The development of innovative techniques andapproaches through the publication of a range of publicinformation and awareness-building materials on global,regional and sub-regional freshwater resource problemsand solutions, including brochures and reports for policymakers, provides the means by which the FreshwaterUnit is contributing to sustainable socio-economicdevelopment. In this regard, the Freshwater Unit, incollaboration with UNEP’s GEMS/ Water ProgrammeActivity Centre, is involved in several fundamentalcomponents of a multi-agency effort, including synthesisof experiences on the river basin scale, in relation tointegrated management of freshwater resources. Theseactivities complement and support national efforts toimplement Agenda 21.

● Project management using the environmentally-soundmanagement of inland waters (EMINWA) planningframework.

● Technical reports and studies on water issues.● Training courses, workshops and supporting materials,

specific to their region of application.● Public awareness materials on water resources

management.● Water resources management technology transfer. BEM


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A dinner was organized onMay 5, 2004 in conjunctionwith the gazetting of the

Registration of Engineers(Amendment) Act 2002, and inappreciation of engineers who havebeen active in helping the Board ofEngineers Malaysia.

The Guest of Honour for the nightwas YB Dato’ Seri S. Samy Vellu,Minister of Works, Malaysia. In hisspeech, read by Deputy Minister ofWorks, YB Dato’ Ir. Mohd. ZinMohamed, the Minister encouragedyoung engineering graduates toregister with the BEM before they startpractising. To Professional Engineers,YB Dato’ Seri Samy Vellu stressed thatthey must not certify works that theyhave not supervised

BEM President, Tan Sri Dato’ Ir.Zaini Omar highlighted some of theamendments of the Registration ofEngineers Act and reminded allregistered engineers that:● only full-fledged engineers

registered under the Act asProfessional Engineers shall beentitled:-- to submit plans, engineering

surveys, drawings, schemes,proposals, reports, design orstudies to any person orauthority in Malaysia

- to practice, carry on businessor take up employment whichrequires them to carry out orperform professionalengineering services

- to be entitled to describethemselves or hold themselvesout under any name, style ortitle:■ bearing the words

“Professional Engineer” orthe equivalent in any otherlanguage

■ using the abbreviation “Ir.”and “P.Eng.” before andafter his name

BEM Dinner

YB Dato’ Ir. Mohd Zin Mohamed,delivering the Minister of Works’ address

BEM President YBhg Tan Sri Dato’ Ir. Zainidelivering his speech

YB Dato’ Ir. Mohd Zin presenting a special gift to YBhg Dato’ Ir. Ng Chong Yuen,Immediate Past President of BEM (2002-2003).

■ be entitled to recover in anycourt any fee, charge,remuneration for anyprofessional engineeringservices rendered

● to uphold the dignity, highstanding and reputation of theprofession

● to have full regard for publicsafety with complete fidelity toclient

● not to maliciously injure theprofessional reputation, prospect orbusiness of another engineer, and

● not to canvass or solicitprofessional employment

Among the dinner programmeswas a Certificate Presentation to theExaminers for ProfessionalAssessment Examination (PAE) andPanel Evaluators for EngineeringAccreditation Council (EAC).

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A group photo of examiners for Professional Assessment Examination (PAE) and Panel Evaluators for Engineering AccreditationCouncil (EAC)(L to R) Ir. Izlan Robert Abdullah, Ir. Prof. Dr. KS Kanan, Ir. Prof. Madya Dr. Mohammad Nor Berhan, Ir. Prof. Dr. Zainal AbidinAhmad, YBhg Dato’ Ir. Ng Chong Yuen, YB Dato’ Ir. Mohd Zin Mohamed, YBhg Tan Sri Dato’ Ir. Zaini Omar, Ir. Chan Cheong Loong,Ir. Tengku Abdul Aziz Tengku Haris, Ir. Prof. Dr. Yusoff Ali, Ir. Jeena a/l Vengadasalam, Ir. Dr. Ramlee Karim

YB Dato’ Ir. Mohd ZinMohamed sharing a joke

with the BEM President

BEM

W ater resourcesdevelopment hasbeen a catalyst fors o c i o e c o n o m i c

development of the country. However,the water situation for some parts ofthe country has changed from one ofrelative abundance to one of scarcity.The growth in population andexpansion in urbanisation,industrialisation and irrigatedagriculture are imposing growingdemands and pressure on waterresources, besides contributing torising water pollution. Any newdevelopment of water resources incursrising costs, besides having to facerigorous scrutinisation fromenvironmentalists andconservationists. The fact that thevolume of water available is finite andthe demand for water is increasingindicates that the supply approach inwater management is unsustainable.

WORLD SCENARIO

Water is a global issue. The WorldWater Vision Report, 2000acknowledged that there is a globalwater crisis. The crisis is not abouthaving too little water to satisfy ourneeds. It is a crisis of managing waterso badly that billions of people -andthe environment- suffer badly.

Lack of water services is one ofthe most important physical signs ofextreme poverty. As estimated in theGlobal Water Supply and SanitationAssessment 2000 Report by WorldHealth Organisation (WHO) andUnited Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF), globally, in the year 2000,1.1 billion people had no access toimproved water supply and 2.4 billionwere without access to improvedsanitation. Two thirds of peoplewithout access to improved watersupply and approximately 80% ofthose without access to improved

sanitation in the world live in Asia.An estimated 670 million people inAsia lack access to improved watersupply, while an estimated 1.9 billionlack adequate sanitation, representing18% and 52% of the region’spopulation, respectively.

According to WHO, a child diesevery 15 seconds, on a worldwidebasis, from diarrhoea, caused largelyby poor sanitation and water supply.Diarrhoeal diseases have killed morechildren in the last 10 years than allpeople lost to armed conflicts sinceWorld War II. Water, sanitation andhygiene interventions have beenshown to reduce sickness fromdiarrhoea by between 25% and 33%.Furthermore, as a determinant ofquality of life, water is as decisive asthe very air we breathe.

In the Millennium Declaration,2000, 191 heads of States andGovernments pledged to ‘reduce byhalf the proportion of people withoutaccess to safe drinking water’ by 2015.The Johannesburg Summit ofSeptember 2002 – the World Summiton Sustainable Development –brought together tens of thousandsof participants, including heads ofStates and Governments, to focus theworld’s attention and direct actiontowards meeting difficult challenges,including improving people’s livesand conserving natural resources. TheJohannesburg Summit Declarationagreed that the MillenniumDeclaration’s water supply goalshould be extended to includesanitation as well. Agreement wasalso reached in developing integratedwater resources management andwater efficiency plans by 2005.

The world would face a bleakfuture if we continue to adoptbusiness as usual. The potentialproblems include deforestation, risein sea level, decreasing crop yields,water conflicts, increased severity/

frequency of tropical storms,widespread outbreak of diseases anddeclining fish population.

MALAYSIAN SCENARIO

Under the Constitution, matterspertaining to natural resources suchas land, mines, forest and watersupply fall under the jurisdiction ofthe states. Water supply becomes aFederal matter only if a dispute arisesin the case of a river basin, whichcrosses state boundary. StateGovernments are responsible for thedevelopment, operation andmaintenance of water supplies. Sincewater is important for socio-economicdevelopment of the nation, theFederal Government provides softloans to State Governments for publicwater supply infrastructure and grantfor rural water supply development.

At the Federal level, the NationalWater Resources Council (NWRC) wasset up in 1998 to pursue a moreeffective water management,including the implementation ofinter-state water transfers. To ensuresustainable water resources andefficient water supply services, theFederal Government is movingtowards greater involvement in themanagement of water resources andwater supply services, and theimplementation of integrated waterresources management.

The national water supplycoverage in 2003 is 93%, that is 97%and 86% for urban and rural areasrespectively. The estimated populationin 2003 is 24.5 million with urban-rural proportion of 60:40.

Sewerage services fall under theJoint List of the Federal Constitution.The Federal Government providesgrant for sewerage infrastructure. Theprovision of sewerage services wasprivatised to Indah Water Konsortium(IWK) in 1993. There are 144 local

Water Resources Management InMalaysia – The Way ForwardBy YM Raja Dato’ Zaharaton Raja Zainal Abidin, Director General, Economic Planning Unit

Water Resources Management InMalaysia – The Way Forward


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authorities in the country and IWK hastaken over the management andprovision of sewerage services in 84local authorities. The IWK ConcessionAgreement does not cover the statesof Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak.

The Engineering Division of theMinistry of Health provides seweragefacilities to rural communities. ASanitation Commission will beestablished to formulate economic andsafety regulations to safeguard publicinterest and promote the developmentof sewerage and solid wastemanagement.

In 2002, the provision of sewerageservices that falls under the jurisdictionof the concessionaire covers apopulation of 16 million whilst thesewerage facilities provided by theMinistry of Health cover a ruralpopulation of 7.6 million. Theestimated population in 2002 is 24.1million.

WATER SUPPLY SECTOR

The increased demand forclean water has led tocompetition in water use amongthe various water user sectorsand the continued economicgrowth will magnify this evenmore acutely. The practicablelimit of surface water resourcesdevelopment has been reachedin regions of high demand, andit has become necessary to considerinter-basin and inter-state watertransfers.

The current approaches towardswater supply in cities are supply-driven – when there’s a “shortage”,new sources are developed. This‘business as usual’ approach is nolonger sustainable because of theever-increasing water demand. Waterdemand management that focuses onconservation measures to make betteruse of limited supplies would be anappropriate approach.

Inter-State Raw Water TransferThe Government is planning to

implement a major inter-state rawwater transfer project, that is, fromPahang to Selangor. The project willtransfer 2,260 million litres of waterper day (mld). Water will be capturedby Kelau Dam, which is an earth damwith a height of 30 metres and

reservoir area of 24 square kilometres.Water from Kelau Dam in Pahang willbe released to Semantan River viaKelau River. The Semantan Intake andPumping Station will then transfer thewater via dual pipelines to the tunnelinlet. The length of each pipe is 11.8km with a diameter of 3 m. The tunneltransfers the water across the MainRange to Langat 2 Water TreatmentPlant (WTP) in Selangor. The lengthof the tunnel is 44.6 km and itsdiameter is 5.2 m. During theconstruction of the tunnel, four aditswill be constructed (that is, two inPahang and two in Selangor) for theremoval of spoil materials. Langat 2WTP will be constructed in threephases according to the plannedvolume of water to be transferredfrom Pahang to Selangor; First Phase– 1,000 mld; Second Phase – 500 mld;and Third Phase – 760 mld.

Major projects are carried outthrough a participatory approach inorder to incorporate the views of thestakeholders in the decision-makingprocess. For example, in the case ofPahang-Selangor Inter-State Raw WaterTransfer Project, besides undertaking aDetailed Environmental ImpactAssessment (DEIA) of the project, theproject-affected people, together withthe NGOs that have shown interest inthe project, were involved in theplanning process. This participatoryapproach will ensure that the project-affected people will benefit from theimplementation of the project andminimal disturbance is created to theenvironment.

Water DemandManagement Initiatives

Business as usual in the watersupply sector is unsustainable. Waterdemand management that seeks to

maximise the usage of water, alsoconserves water and thus limits the needfor new supplies. In 1999, theGovernment produced a guidelineentitled Guidelines for Installing ARainwater Collection and UtilisationSystem, which was circulated todevelopers and relevant agencies. Theguideline documents some of the waysin which rainwater can be collectedfrom roofs of buildings and the practicalutilisation of rainwater. More than 50%of the domestic water use does not needtreated water quality. In June 2002, theGovernment imposed a condition forthe installation of 6-litre toilet flushingsystems in new buildings.

The programme of reducing non-revenue water (NRW) and rehabilitationof water treatment plants anddistribution pipes is an on-goingprogramme in every five-yeardevelopment plan. In the Eighth

Malaysia Plan (2001-2005),nearly RM1 billion is allocated forthe programme of NRWreduction and rehabilitation ofwater supply systems. Thecampaigns on water conservationawareness by the water supplysectors and water resourcesagencies are undertaken on acontinuous basis.

SEWERAGE SECTOR

Sewage is one of the majorpollutants of our water bodies. Areliable and efficient sewerage systemis undoubtedly a vital contributingfactor towards the improvement inenvironmental health of the nation.The municipal sewerage services areprovided by the concessionaire andlocal authorities, whilst theDepartment of Sewerage Services isentrusted with the responsibilities ofoverseeing and regulating seweragedevelopment in the country.

The Ministry of Health, throughits Engineering Division, implementsthe rural sanitation programme. Themost effective and cheap method fordisposal of excreta in rural areas isby pour-flush latrines. Theconstruction of sanitary latrinesprovides the means to initiate theeffort to educate the rural populationon the use of a more comfortable andhygienic method for the disposal ofexcreta.


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Cities are well-known for beingpolluters of the aquatic environmentwith sewage and municipalwastewater, industrial effluents andpolluted urban runoffs. TheGovernment has undertaken aNational Sewerage Project, which ismade up of 13 projects that cover theKlang Valley and the major urbancentres in the west coast of PeninsularMalaysia – Kangar, Alor Setar,Butterworth, Bukit Mertajam,Seremban, Port Dickson and Melaka.The project components are made upof 10 sewerage treatment plants(STPs), three centralised sludgetreatment facilities (CSTF) and anetwork with a total length of 117kilometres. The National SewerageProject will be extended into the nextplan period, Ninth Malaysia Plan,2006-2010.

INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCESMANAGEMENT (IWRM)

The management of waterresources should be based on soundpolicies and strengthened institutionalarrangements. The first step towardsIWRM in Malaysia was realised withthe formation of Selangor WaterManagement Authority in 1999. Thisauthority is commonly known asLUAS (Lembaga Urus Air Selangor)and was formed with the aim ofadopting and implementing IWRM atthe river basin level within the stateof Selangor.

An integrated river basinmanagement project is beingundertaken in two river basins,namely Selangor River and KedahRiver, in order to establish aframework for integratedmanagement of river basins and theirwater resources. A Sarawak IWRMMaster Plan Study will also beimplemented during the remainingEighth Malaysia Plan Period (2001-2005), with the objective offormulating a master plan for theintegrated development andmanagement of Sarawak’s waterresources.

A national study for the effectiveimplementation of IWRM in Malaysiais being planned with the aims ofcreating awareness and generatingadvocacy in IWRM nationwide,developing capacity building of

implementing agencies in IWRM anddeveloping best managementpractices in IWRM within theMalaysian context.

The programmes on riverrehabilitation are carried out onselected rivers with the objectives ofpollution abatement and waterquality improvement. The KlangRiver Clean Up Programme involvesconstruction, maintenance anddesilting activities, education andbeautification programmes,relocation of squatters, rehabilitationof aquatic life, treatment of animalwaste and water pollution control.Integrated action plans wereformulated towards pollutionabatement and water qualityimprovement in the following rivers:Langat, Segget, Tebrau and Skudai.

THE WAY FORWARD

There is a political will to improvethe Malaysian water sector. This ismanifested in the formation of thenew Cabinet after the recent 11th

General Elections. The national watersector is now being addressed withrespect to improving services andconserving resources through theformation of the Ministry of Energy,Water and Communications, and theMinistry of Natural Resources andEnvironment respectively. Thefunction of water supply services inthe Ministry of Works and theDepartment of Sewerage Services inthe Ministry of Housing and LocalGovernment will be transferred to theMinistry of Energy, Water andCommunications. The Department ofIrrigation and Drainage (DID) in theMinistry of Agriculture will betransferred to the Ministry of NaturalResources and Environment. DID isthe custodian of the NationalHydrological Network and isresponsible for flood forecasting andthe management of rivers, floods,urban drainage/stormwater runoffand coastal zones. In other words,DID is responsible for surface waterresources. The Department of Mineraland Geosciences that is responsiblefor groundwater resources is alreadyin the Ministry of Natural Resourcesand Environment.

An individual problem in thenational water sector, such as NRW,

cannot be solved in isolation. It canonly be effectively addressed afterthe core problems have beenresolved. These problems includepoor governance, low tariffs and lackof funds. Measures to resolve theproblems may include transparentpolicies, independent regulatorybodies, a paradigm shift in tariffs,the involvement of civil society andthe involvement of the FederalGovernment in water services andmanagement of water resources.

We must rethink watermanagement. Water is everybody’sresponsibility and we are part of thesolution. We no longer live in theera in which we could have indefiniteexpansion of water services andsupplies. We have to focus on howwe use water. That’s where new waterwill be ‘found’. The water authorities,purveyors and consumers must playtheir role in water resources andsupply conservation from capture toconsumption and to wastewaterdischarge.

The effective implementation ofIWRM will contribute to therealisation of a sustainable nationalwater sector. Reforms and initiativesare needed towards providingadequate as well as an enablingenvironment for the effective andefficient implementation of IWRM.IWRM formulates and implements acourse of action involving themanagement of water and relatedresources to achieve optimumallocation of water resources withina catchment or river basin. The scopeof IWRM is wide and it may beaddressed in the following ways;integration of different componentsof water; integration of water withrelated land and environmentalresources; and integration of waterwith social and economicdevelopment.

At the international level, thereis a need for sustained and adequatefinancing for the development ofwater supply and sewerageinfrastructure in developingcountries. This is crucial because theavailability of basic water supply andsewerage infrastructure is aprerequisite to economicdevelopment, poverty eradicationand improvement of the quality oflife of the people.


BEM

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Managing Water Supply In Selangor And Kuala Lumpur

By Ir. V. Subramaniam, Pengurus Besar Operasi, Perbadanan Urus Air Selangor Berhad

PUAS Bhd, the newly corporatised Selangor Water Management Company is a successor company toJabatan Bekalan Air Selangor, taking over its functions and duties to manage the distribution ofpotable water to five million consumers including industries and commercial buildings in Selangorand the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. Although the production of treated waterand water treatment have achieved world-class standards, there is still much to be done in themanaging and distribution of the treated water to the consumers. This paper highlights severalproblems related to the management of water supply in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, and outlinessome strategies to overcome these problems in phases so that water supply managed by PUAS Bhdwill be of world-class standard in all respects.

W ater supply inSelangor and KualaLumpur is managedby the newly

corporatised Selangor WaterManagement Company (PUAS Bhd),a successor company to JabatanBekalan Air Selangor. PUAS Bhdpresently manages a supply of 3,500million litres of water per day to about1.3 million domestic and industrialconsumers (accounts) in Selangor andthe Federal Territories of KualaLumpur and Putrajaya.

Since the 1990s, the productionfacilities have all been privatised,including the development of newsource works such as the SelangorRiver Water Supply Scheme Phases 2and 3 on a ‘build-operate-transfer’basis. The Water Supply Departmentthen, now a wholly State-ownedcorporatised company, buys thetreated water in bulk from theconcession companies, distributes thewater to its consumers through anetwork of some 13,500 km ofpipelines and does the billing andcollection as well. Although it hasachieved world-class standard inwater treatment construction of

modern water treatment plantsequipped with up-to-date watertreatment facilities and water qualitymonitoring systems, there is stillmuch to be done in the managingand distribution of the treated waterto the consumers. In recent years, alot of problems have arisen in thedistribution of water to theconsumers. The major problemssurfaced in 1998 when the KlangValley was hit by a water crisis dueto severe drought and suffered fromwater shortage for a period of sixmonths. This paper highlightsseveral problems related to themanagement of water supply inSelangor and Kuala Lumpur, andoutlines some strategies to overcomethese problems in phases so thatwater supply managed by PUAS Bhdwill be of world-class standard in allrespects. By world-class standard,it means that one does not have anydoubt whatsoever in drinking waterdirect from the tap and one couldalso enjoy the full reliability of watersupply in terms of both quality andquantity. A world-class water utilitycompany must also provide excellentcustomer services, show an efficient

Achieving World-Class WaterUtility Company Standard

economic performance and havegood corporate governance, all ofthese benchmarked against some ofthe leading water utility companiesin the world.

CURRENT STATUS OFWATER SUPPLY

Under the Federal Constitution ofMalaysia, water supply matters are theresponsibility of the States. The StateGovernments are responsible for thedevelopment of water resources,production, operation andmaintenance of public water suppliesin their respective states. The Statesoperate the supplies through either theState Public Works Departments, StateWater Supply Departments, StateWater Supply Boards or State WaterSupply Corporations, and morerecently private companies. The StateGovernment of Selangor has beenoperating the water supply inSelangor, including the FederalTerritories of Kuala Lumpur andPutrajaya, through the StateWaterworks Department, which wasthen the Selangor Water SupplyDepartment (JBAS). Since March 15,

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2002, JBAS was corporatised as awholly State-owned company in thename of Selangor Water ManagementCompany or PUAS Bhd.

PUAS Bhd is responsible for thesupply of potable water to five millionconsumers, including industries andcommercial buildings. PUAS Bhdmanages a supply of 3,500 millionlitres of water per day and 1.3 millionconsumer accounts, including thebilling and collection. The companyalso maintains a distribution networkof about 13,500 km. PUAS Bhd isgoverned by a Board of Directorscomprising State Government officialsand members of the public. In general,the water industry in Selangor consistsof three main water concessioncompanies – Puncak Niaga (M) SdnBhd, Syarikat Pengeluar Air SungaiSelangor Sdn Bhd and Konsortium

the consumers. There is also aRegulatory Office under the StateGovernment to oversee and regulatethe water industry in the State. Figure1 shows the overall structure of thewater industry in the state of Selangor.Figure 2 shows the respectiveresponsibilities of the water concessioncompanies and PUAS Bhd.

Water supply operation in Selangorand Kuala Lumpur is divided intoseven regions, each managed by aSenior Manager. The regional seniormanagers are responsible for theefficient and effective operation andmaintenance of the distributionsystem, 100% correct billing, 100%collection, and customer-oriented andcustomer-friendly services in theirrespective regions. The PUAS Bhdheadquarters is located in KualaLumpur and is responsible for theoverall coordination of the entirePUAS operations, planning anddevelopment, finance and corporateaffairs including all enforcement andsecurity measures. The total staffstrength of PUAS Bhd currently is1,388.

Water resources for Selangor andKuala Lumpur are entirely from surfacewater sources with the supply drawndirectly from an impounding reservoiror direct abstraction from riversregulated by releases from storagereservoirs. The present water resourcesare adequate to meet the water demandfor Selangor and Kuala Lumpur up to

Table 1: Water Supply Dams In Selangor

Table 2: Water Supply Demand Projections For Selangor And Kuala Lumpur

No. Dam Year Constructed Storage Capacity1 Klang Gates Dam 1959 28,000 ML2 Langat Dam 1979 37,480 ML3 Semenyih Dam 1986 61,400 ML4 Batu Dam 1986 36,000 ML5 Sg. Tinggi Dam 1997 114,500 ML6 Sg. Selangor Dam Under construction 235,000 ML

ABASS Sdn Bhd – responsible forwater production while PUAS Bhd isresponsible for water distribution to

Year Demand (Mld) Supply (Mld) Remarks2002 3,326 3,628 125 Mld ~ Rasa - 12003 3,519 4,028 400 Mld ~ SS3 - 12004 3,723 4,028 -2005 3,940 4,428 400 Mld ~ SS3 - 22006 4,170 4,428 -2007 4,413 4,553 125 Mld ~ Rasa - 22008 4,671 4,553 Deficit of 118 Mld

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the year 2007 and the quality of watersupplied is in full compliance withWHO International Standards forDrinking Water. There are five largedams in the State operated for watersupply purposes with another damunder construction. Table 1 shows thecapacities of the various dams in theState.

Figure 3 shows the location of thevarious dams in Selangor.

The demand for water in Selangorand Kuala Lumpur grows at anaverage rate of 6% per year. Table 2shows the water supply demandprojections and the planning for watersupply until the year 2007.

There are presently six majorwater treatment plants and 25 othersmaller water treatment plants in theState with a total supply capacity of3,628 Mld, sufficient to meet thepresent demand. Table 3 shows theproduction capacity of watertreatment plants in Selangor andKuala Lumpur.

Figure 4 and Figure 5 show thelocations of the various treatmentplants in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

Beyond 2007, the StateGovernment, together with theFederal Government, is planning tosource water from a neighbouringstate. The neighbouring state ofPahang has been identified for thisinter-state water transfer project,which is in an advanced stage ofplanning and design. Basically, theproject entails the abstraction ofsurface water regulated by storagereservoirs and transfer of raw waterthrough a 5.2 m diameter 47-km long

Table 3: Water Treatment Plants In Selangor And Kuala Lumpur

tunnel. The present planned capacityof the project is 2,260,000 m3/day.

Figure 6 shows the projected waterdemand and treatment workscapacity.

NON-PROBLEMATIC AREAS

Since the 1990s, the operationand maintenance/management ofthe source works including thewater treatment plants have beenprivatised to three major companies,namely Puncak Niaga (M) Sdn Bhd,Syarikat Pengeluar Air SungaiSelangor Sdn Bhd and KonsortiumABASS Sdn Bhd through long-term(25-30 years) concessionagreements. Some of theseconcession agreements also involvecapital works such as the buildingof a new dam, water treatmentplants and laying of new trunk mainpipelines based on the build-operate-transfer (BOT) concept ofprivatisation.

1 Bukit Nanas 1966 1362 Sg. Langat 1980 4773 Sg. Batu 1980 1144 Sg. Semenyih 1986 6365 Sg. Selangor Phase 1 1995 9506 Sg. Selangor Phase 2 2000 9507 Rasa Phase 1 2001 125

Sub-total: 3,3888 25 other smaller plants - 240

TOTAL: 3,628

No. Water Treatment Plant Year ProductionConstructed Capacity (Mld)

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Ever since the privatisation ofwater production facilities, thequality of treated water supplied toconsumers from all of the privatisedtreatment plants is much better thanthe WHO International Standards

for Drinking Water. In fact, it canbe said to be of world-class standardcomparable to those of developedcountries. The reason water qualityhas reached world-class standard isthe stringent conditions in the

privatisation concession agreements.Table 4 gives a comparison of theWHO Standards and the actual qualityof water produced by the six majorprivatised treatment plants in respectof some parameters.

The standard of operation andmaintenance of these privatisedtreatment plants has also vastlyimproved. In this respect, it isimperative that the private operatorskeep their costs low by cutting downon wastages, optimising labour aswell as improving efficiency ofoperations so as to maintainprofitability. Hence, consumers arenow enjoying an improved level ofservice in terms of both reliability andquality on the production side.

MAJOR PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED

Water is essential to life. Therecent water crisis in 1998 has shown

Figure 6

Table 4: Average Water Quality Produced By The Major Treatment Plants

Parameter Major Treatment Plants WHO StandardSSF 1 SSF 2 SEMENYIH LANGAT B.NANAS BATU

Turbidity 0.67 0.6 1.38 1.18 0.51 0.49 <5 NTUColour 2.5 <5 6.49 <5 <5 <5 <15 TCU

Ph 7.6 7.45 7.37 7.39 7.43 7.36 6.5 - 9.0Iron 0.02 0.08 0.03 0.03 0.06 0.02 <0.3 mg/l

Manganese 0.03 0.06 0.05 0.04 0.04 0.01 <0.1 mg/lAluminium 0.01 0 0 0 0 0 <0.2 mg/l

Total Coliform Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Absent in 100ml sampleFaecal Coliform Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil

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the hardships faced by the consumersand how seriously their daily lives canbe affected by not having a regularwater supply, not to mention theamount of social and economicproblems created. Although PUASBhd has achieved the objective ofproducing good quality and reliablewater supply in sufficient quantities,it has also got to ensure that the samequality and reliability of supply isavailable at each and everyconsumer’s tap. The consumersshould not have any doubt aboutdrinking water straight from the tap;neither should they be concernedabout its reliability.

Recently, there has been a numberof complaints from the consumersregarding frequent water disruptions,low pressures and also unsatisfactorywater quality. This is also evidentfrom the increasing number ofconsumers installing expensive homewater filters, not satisfied with thewater quality reaching their premises.

In this respect, five majorproblems have been identified, threeof which are related to the distributionsystem. These problems are:

● Water quality problems● Uneven distribution● High non-revenue water losses● Customer service● Financial and manpower problems

ROOT CAUSE OF THEIDENTIFIED PROBLEMS

Water Quality Problems

As mentioned earlier, the waterquality of treated water produced isin fact in accordance with or betterthan WHO International Standards forDrinking Water. However, this waterhas to pass through various portionsof a distribution system consisting ofa pipe network of some 13,500 km inlength before reaching the consumertaps. About 40% or 5,200 km longof these distribution pipelines are stillmade of old asbestos cement pipeswhich are actually beyond theirservice life. Some of the old asbestoscement pipes have been in place for

as long as 40 or more years, and havedeteriorated so much that they areeasily broken, causing frequent waterdisruptions. Each time a burst occurs,the water supply has to be interruptedfor repair works and thereafterresumed after the repair works arecompleted. It is this fluctuation ofthe flow in the pipelines that causesthe silt or sediments or even rustdeposited in the pipes over the yearsto go to the consumer taps, causingthe water supply to appear ‘dirty’. Thisis made worse by the lack ofmaintenance of the distributionsystem in terms of scouring orflushing of the pipelines and servicereservoirs on a regular basis. Thesame problem is also caused byfrequent reversal of flows in thepipelines due to too muchinterconnection of different supplysystems.

The other problem with thedistribution system is the inherent poordesign which doesnot provide forsufficient scouringfacilities and even ifprovided, they are ofinadequate size thusunable to createadequate flow velocities for properscouring purposes. In most cases,scouring of the system mainly dependson the use of fire hydrants, which arerather inadequate and not effective forthis purpose. In some cases, thissituation is further aggravated byhaving a lot of ‘dead end’ pipes in thesystem.

Most of the consumer premises arealso still using galvanised iron pipesand storage tanks for their internalplumbing systems. These pipes andtanks have a limited lifespan of fiveto seven years after which they beginto corrode, contributing to ‘dirty’ waterproblem within the premises.

Uneven Distribution

Selangor and Kuala Lumpur havealways been fast growing in terms ofdevelopment and hence, causing thedemand for water to grow at a highrate of 6% per year. Consequently, the

distribution network is also expandingat a fast pace with new connectionsadded on to the existing distributionsystem. Inadequate or no redesign ofthe changing distribution system dueto new connections invariably causesserious problems in the water supplydistribution. For example, areas thathave been enjoying good and adequatewater supply in the past are now seento be experiencing inadequate watersupply in terms of low pressures andsometimes non-continuous supply.

High Non-Revenue Water Losses

Non-revenue water (NRW) is thedifference between metered quantityof water produced at the treatmentplants and the metered quantity ofwater actually billed to theconsumers.

For the year 2002, the NRW wascalculated as follows:

NRW is caused by both physicalloss of water in the distributionsystem and commercial losses. Thecomponents of NRW can be broadlyclassified as follows:

Pipe bursts and leaks 20%Pilferage of water 12%Meter under-registration 8%Other losses such asreservoir overflows,fire-fighting, scouring 4%Total 44%

The chief components of NRW canbe divided into the following:

(i) Unmeasured legitimate use,which includes:

● Legal connection, butconsumption not billed, likepublic fire hydrants used forfire-fighting and generalcleaning


NRW = Production - Billed Quantity(Jan–Dec 2002) Production

= 44 %

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● Scouring/flushing of pipelinesand cleaning of servicereservoirs

● Supply using water tankersduring water disruptions

● Under-registration ofconsumers’ supply meters

● Incorrectly read meters orincorrect billings

● Incomplete billings

(ii) Physical losses, which include:

● Bursts and leakage in thedistribution network

● Leakage through tapping pointsand service connection pipes

● Leakage and overflows fromservice reservoirs or watertowers

● Unreported third party damageto pipework

● New connections to existingmains including pipe diversionsand realignment

company, PUAS Bhd is committed toexcellence in providing drinkingwater that is clean and safe. Hence,the first agenda is to raise the levelof service to the customers.

Presently, PUAS Bhd receives anaverage of 7,500 to 8,000 complaintsper month from the consumers.Table 5 shows the various types ofcomplaints received for the past fivemonths.

Although most of the complaintsare attended to, the number ofcomplaints is still fairly large, thusaffecting the response time. Themain problem here is the lack ofmanpower or rather the existing staffstrength is below the norm for thepresent number of consumeraccounts. Table 6 shows the increasein the number of consumer accountscompared with the total staffstrength for the past 10 years.

Figure 7 also shows the staffstrength compared with other states.Figure 8 shows the manpower sizecompared with other major cities.

Financial Problems

PUAS Bhd is presently facing ahuge financial deficit in excess ofRM400 million a year. This is mainlybecause of the high cost ofpurchasing water from the waterproducers, and the revenue from thesale of water is barely sufficient topay for the purchase of treated water.Hence, it is very difficult to meetother operating, administration andmaintenance expenses, let alonefinancing development projects,asset replacement or systemimprovement and developmentworks.

Table 5: Consumer Complaints

Table 6: No. Of Consumer Accounts Compared With Staff Strength

● Faulty fittings such as leakingair valves, scour valves and in-line valves

(iii) Non-legitimate uses, whichinclude:

● Illegal connections, metertampering or by-passing ofmeters

● Squatters or informalsettlements

● Unauthorised reconnection ofsupply after disconnection dueto non-payment of water bills

Customer Service

Customer Service is a relativelynew area for PUAS Bhd since therehas been no particular focus oncustomer services as a Governmentdepartment previously, apart from justattending to customer complaints ona normal basis. Now as a corporatised

*Note: Following the privatisation of the water treatment plants in 1995, all thetreatment plant staff (about 250 staff) were absorbed into the concession companies.

1992 720,986 1,651 4371993 766,750 1,646 4661994 820,372 1,546 5311995 874,754 1,503 582

*1996 932,860 1,247 7481997 961,326 1,212 7931998 989,792 1,242 7971999 1,145,233 1,200 9542000 1,196,459 1,163 1,0292001 1,262,961 1,123 1,1252002 1,351,682 1,393 970

Year No. Of Consumer Total Staff No. OfAccounts Strength Consumer

Accounts Per Staff

1 Pipe Burst 1,938 776 766 3,4802 Pipe Leak 13,843 5,781 5,923 25,5473 Low Pressure 1,048 515 473 2,0364 Dirty Water 444 160 274 8785 Odour 78 31 1 1106 No Water 2,424 1,086 1,280 4,7907 High Bill 2,124 1,374 1,362 4,8608 No Water Bill 97 34 17 1489 Meter Lost/Stolen 265 124 96 48510 Pilferage/Illegal Connection 262 145 215 622

TOTAL: 22,523 10,026 10,407 42,956

No. Type Of Complaint No. Of Complaints TotalJan - Mar April May

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One reason for this situation isthat the huge cost of financingsource works such as the building ofthe new treatment plants, the Sg.

Selangor dam and trunk main pipeshas been built into the purchase costof the treated water. The otherreason is that the water tariff charged

to the consumers is still very low anddoes not reflect the true cost ofproducing and supplying water. Figure9 shows Malaysia’s water ratescompared with other countries. Thethird and a very serious reason is thehigh non-revenue water losses. Thisis made worse by the distributionsystem being old and badly in need ofrenewal and repair and not having thenecessary funds to carry out suchworks. For instance, the replacementof the old asbestos cement pipes alonerequires funds in excess of RM1 billion.A further large amount of capital isrequired to carry out active leakdetection works and other programmesin order to reduce the current highnon-revenue water losses.

STRATEGIES TO OVERCOMEPROBLEMS IN PHASES

The problems faced by PUAS Bhdas outlined above cannot be resolvedovernight. It will need both time andthe necessary funds to solve theseproblems. Hence, the proposal is tosolve the problems in phases andcomplete the last phase within astipulated timeframe of five to 10years.

Water Quality Problems

The distribution system is thebiggest asset of the Company andhence, it must be attended to carefullyand methodically. The problem of‘dirty’ water can be addressed in thefollowing manner:

● Introduce adequate scours in boththe trunk main pipes anddistribution pipes

● Systematic cleaning and flushingof all the service reservoirs andpipelines on a scheduled basis

● All ‘dead end’ pipes must be looped● Reversal of flows in the pipelines

must be minimised if it cannot betotally avoided

● Studies should be carried out toascertain where ‘dirty water’ isencountered in order of severity

● There must be adequate and properwater sampling stations in thedistribution system and samplingshould be well timed to ensurerepresentative results

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Distribution Problems

As mentioned earlier, thedistribution system comprises a largeand complex pipe network some13,500 km in total length. In orderto address distribution problemseffectively, the first thing to do is toestablish a comprehensive andcomputerised mapping of the entiresystem. The system must also becomplete with:

● Hydraulic network modelling● Pressure management and

pressure monitoring systems● Flows and reservoir levels

measurement and monitoringsystems

● Telemetry/SCADA/GIS systems

Hence, the performance of thedistribution system must beconstantly monitored through acentral control system. The impact ofevery new tee connection to a newdevelopment must be hydraulicallychecked to ensure that the existingconsumers are not affected.

Non-Revenue Water Losses

This is a very serious problem andno effort should be spared in reducingthe NRW.

(i) Immediate action to reduceNRW:

● 100% billing through newbilling system called ‘S2B’ andensuring correct billingthrough close monitoring ofindividual consumptionpatterns

● Consumer supply meter change‘crash’ programme

● An integrated operation to stoppilferage of water, includingdisconnecting all squatters’supply and giving them propermetered supplies

● Water for fire-fighting or anyother use from fire hydrants tobe charged

(ii) Medium/long-term measuresto reduce NRW:

● Active leakage control● Pressure management● Renewal/replacement of pipes

based on a comprehensive‘Asset Management Plan’

● Consumer meter exchangep r o g r a m m e / m e t e rmanagement and maintenance

● New metering policies andtechnologies

● Scheduled inspection andmaintenance/repair of allservice reservoirs to preventoverflows and leakageincluding all air valves, scourvalves and in-line valves

● For new development,pressure and leakage tests ofpipelines to be carried outafter tapping for serviceconnections

● Use of proven qualitymaterials and standards in thedistribution system

● Water loss due to third partydamage to pipelines or newconnections including pipediversions and realignment tobe charged

● Continuous and strictenforcement against pilferageof water

● Target NRW reduction of 2%per year to 15% by the year2015, as well as monitoring ofunit cost of overall NRWreduction programme

Customer Service

One of the importantcharacteristics of a successfulorganisation is the ability to putcustomer satisfaction as utmostpriority. Described as a customer-driven organisation, PUAS Bhd willemphasise proactive listening tocustomers’ needs.

● Establish customer service levels● Establish Customer Service

Department to focus on customerservices and customer relations

● Fully computerised complaintsmanagement centre to ensureeach and every complaint isattended to within a specifiedresponse time, and complaintmanagement as key driver inimproving eff ic iency andservice levels

● Address manpower problemseffectively to ensure customersatisfaction

● Promote better customerawareness and customereducation

Financial Problems

The current huge financialdeficit is in essence the basicproblem which must be resolvedbefore trying to solve the otherproblems. Solutions are:

● Federal Government assistance● Raise water tariff● Other sources of revenue/

charges/taxes

CONCLUSION

Taking into consideration all theproblems highlighted above and thecurrent huge financial deficit facedby PUAS Bhd, something has to bedone very quickly. The consumersare in fact getting to be veryimpat ient , judging from thenumber and types of complaintsreceived. Hence, every effort hasgot to be made to change thecurrent situation and to win backcustomer confidence. In line withPUAS Bhd’s Mission Statement ofusing information technology togain competitive edge and to bemore cost-effective, the Companyis now moving towards a TotalOperation Management System(TOMS) which is an integrated suiteof applications that automate theprovisioning and sustaining of theservice delivery network of a watercompany. PUAS Bhd is committedto stay focused in its efforts toachieve world-class water utilitycompany standard. BEM


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The problems are well-known.Malaysia is rich in waterresources, but the demandfor clean water is increasing

rapidly and shortage occurs duringdry periods. During the monsoon,floods disrupt the lives of manypeople and cause substantialdamages, destruction of property andloss of lives. Water quality is also aproblem. Though many rivers are stillin good condition, some are severelypolluted with silt, sewage and solidwaste.

The causes of the problems arecomplex and cannot be solvedovernight, while the traditional wayof addressing the problems in afragmented manner has proven to beinsufficient. In addition, roles,responsibilities and authority are notclearly defined. Thus, DID is oftenblamed when a flood occurs, whilstthe real causes may be flash floodsdue to urban development,sedimentation due to earth works ordeforestation, or solid waste that clogsthe drains – areas which are underthe mandate of other agencies.Similarly, water pollution problemscan only be effectively addressedthrough a concerted effort involvingmany agencies and huge investmentsin wastewater treatment.

So while the present sectoralapproach has its advantages, it hasbecome evident that there is a needfor a broader, holistic view. Water-related problems can only beeffectively dealt with through acollaborative effort by the manystakeholders and with inputs from themany technical disciplines. It is nolonger enough to look just at the river;we must now consider the whole

basin. That is what Integrated RiverBasin Management (IRBM) is allabout.

IRBM is not a technical solution.Rather, it is an approach to waterresources management that takes intoaccount all factors linked to land andwater resources, including social andeconomic activities. Its broad scopenot only covers water resources, butalso environmental managementaspects such as pollution control,development planning andbiodiversity conservation.

Current Policies

The need for a holistic andintegrated approach is now widelyrecognised and is strongly reflectedin Government policies. This isincorporated into both the EighthMalaysia Plan (8MP), (2001-2005) andthe Third Outline Perspective Plan(OPP3), (2001-2010) which encourageState Governments to establish watermanagement bodies to ensure properplanning, monitoring, enforcement

and management of water resourceson a river basin basis.

This policy is not unique. TheWorld Summit for SustainableDevelopment (WSSD), held inJohannesburg, South Africa in 2002,called for every nation to instituteholistic management of waterresources and set targets to developnational integrated water resourcesmanagement by 2005. The ThirdWorld Water Forum (3WWF) held inKyoto, Japan the following year, alsostressed on the need for an integratedapproach, as have many othermeetings. Hence, this trend towardsintegration is global.

How?

Like ‘holistic’ and ‘sustainable’,‘integration’ has become the currentfad. But what exactly does it mean?And above all, how do we implementit?

River basins are importantecological units and the river itselfreflects all the environmental changesthat occur in the basin – be it changesin land use or discharges of waste.However, natural basin borders rarelycoincide with political andadministrative borders, making itdifficult to attend to the ecologicallinkages across basins. In addition,many departments and agencies areinvolved, each planning andmanaging its particular sector ofwater use.

Thus, it is necessary to establish amechanism that can mergecoordination and seek cooperationnot only across sectors, but also acrosspolitical and administrative borders.The challenge is how to do it.

Water Resources Management InMalaysia – The Way ForwardBy Datuk Ir. Hj. Keizrul Abdullah, Director-General, Department of Irrigation and Drainage; and Bo Christensen,Chief Technical Advisor, IRBM Project

Integrated RiverBasin Management


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One of the quickest ways toimplement IRBM is through the useof River Basin Master Plans. Suchmaster plans take into considerationthe needs of the various water sectorsby incorporating and integrating thevarious sectoral master plans into anoverall basin plan through a processof trade-offs aimed at a win-winapproach.

What Are Other Countries Doing?

Since water is an important issuein many countries, often there arelong traditions for bodies which canresolve conflicts between varioususers. Some of these organisations arespecialised courts that follow legalprocedures. Others are water or riverauthorities. In some countries, formalor informal user groups playimportant roles in water management.The Tribunal de las Aguas (WaterCourt) of Valencia, Spain, which hasbeen in existence at least since the10th century, is one of the earliestexamples.

The responsibilities and mode ofoperation of the institutions vary fromcountry to country. The preferredinstitutional set-up needs to reflectthe traditions and history of thecountry as well as the nature of theissues to be dealt with. However, mosttraditional systems have limitedmandates and they are thereforerarely able to effectively deal with themore complex environmental issuesof water resource management.

Many countries have thereforeestablished new River BasinManagement Institutions or RiverBasin Organisations (RBOs), or are inthe process of doing so. RBOs can takemany forms, and some are justmodifications or additions to existingsystems. More radical reforms havetypically only been instituted after asevere crisis in the water sector.

Although each country is unique,the challenges they face in riverbasin management generally havesome similarities, and it isworthwhile to examine theexperiences of other countries to seeif their experiences can be appliedin Malaysia in some form.

● In Australia, the Murray-Darlingcatchment is beset byunsustainable land use andexcessive water extraction in avery dry agricultural zone, suchthat in some years, no waterreaches the sea. The collaborationamong several neighbouringstates seeks to address negativeimpacts by utilising economicinstruments, such as marketablewater rights and othermanagement tools.

● In Indonesia, the Brantas Riverbasin, with an area of 12,000 km2

and a population of 15 million,is managed on an IRBM basis bya state-owned company, PTG-1.PTG-1 has the responsibility tomanage the water resources andwater infrastructure, includingwater supply, irrigation and floodmitigation. It is not directlyresponsible for water pollutioncontrol or land use, but advisesand supports other agencies.

● In Europe, the European UnionWater Framework Directive is avery ambitious legal initiative inwater resources management. Itgives clear direction for memberstates and requires each tointroduce integrated river basinmanagement plans, to implementlegal and institutionalarrangements and sets a bindingtimetable to achieve “good status”for all water bodies. The actualimplementation of the directivevaries in format with eachparticipating country, but thetarget is clear.

● In Denmark, regional councils areresponsible for regional physicalmanagement, natural resourcesmanagement, river management,environmental monitoring and

environmental regulation ofsewage treatment plants andmajor industries. The regionalphysical plans are updated onceevery fourth years. This planningmechanism, and the fact that allmajor environmentalmanagement and most naturalresources management is theresponsibility of a singleorganisation, greatly facilitate anintegrated approach. Themultitude of specialised agenciesthat are found in Malaysia ispractically absent. Environmentalservices are generally provided bythe municipalities. The Ministryof Environment gives guidanceand regulations, and, in case ofappeals, may overrule somedecisions made by the regionalcouncils or the municipalities.

● In France, the country has beendivided into six “river basins”where the water resources aremanaged in an integratedmanner. For each basin, there isa committee which has the roleto establish partnerships andcoordinate the actions of publicauthorities and developers. Thedaily work is carried out by sixwater agencies. The river basincommittees also mobilise thefinancial resources for waterinvestments. Master plans andschemes for water developmentand management play animportant role in watermanagement. In addition, there isa number of local watercommunities which can play anactive role in achieving theobjectives.

● In the United States, the CleanWater Act requires the states toprepare and maintain acontinuing planning process thatincludes Water QualityManagement plans. These plansshould have a watershed focus,but are more limited in scope thanthe EU plans.

These models may help to provideguidance, but ultimately, thesolutions must be found locally.


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IRBM Planning

Planning is a key element ofIRBM. It helps define environmentalissues and considers the interests ofvarious stakeholders. Planning setsthe stage for integration and is aprerequisite for consistentimplementation of policies, includingthe allocation of water resources,pollution abatement, zoning, grantingof permissions and licences, andothers. Each element of the planrequires a strategy by the authorities.Henceforth, decisions can be made ina systematic and transparent mannerthat is able to withstand publicscrutiny.

The aim of the IRBM plan is thusto provide overall guidance. Its intentis not to dwell on managementdetails, but to establish priorities andbalance the various sector interestsin a way that facilitates clear andspecific actions to address the mainissues. It is crucial that an IRBM planadequately covers and integrates thefull array of water concerns, such asresources use and flood mitigation,wastewater treatment, and catchmentprotection and zoning. Planningrequires a long-term vision to seekappropriate environmentalinvestments that fulfill the entireobjectives of IRBM. The IRBM planshould identify measures to achievethe planning objectives and specifyconcrete short-term and long-termactions.

Legal And Institutional Framework

Malaysia already has severalexamples of integrated watershed,catchment or river basin planning.Most initiatives have been in the formof IRBM plans, each with its ownstrengths and weaknesses. Most planshave been prepared by a singleagency and this gives a bias that isreflected in the plans.

The challenge is how to improvethe implementation of IRBM. Do wecreate new institutions? Do we addresponsibilities to existing agencies?Can we merely amend legal andadministrative frameworks to handlethe job or are major changes required?

The Sabah Water ResourcesEnactment of 1998 was an early andimportant step towards integrated

management, as it created the firstlegal framework for IRBM inMalaysia. In Peninsular Malaysia,Selangor pioneered the new paradigmwith the creation of LUAS in 1999.

The environmental conditions andeconomic situation of each state mustbe considered before designing amodel that fits into the local legal andinstitutional system. Nevertheless,there are many similarities betweenthe states and it should be possible togive general recommendations andcreate a model legislation that thestates can adapt and adopt.

Institutional Challenges

It is easy to identify thechallenges, namely to:

● Achieve effective and efficientintegration

● Maintain expertise, skills andfocus of specialised agencies

● Avoid creation of bureaucraticcomplications

● Develop frameworks with clearmandates

● Streamline legislation,administration and procedures

● Ensure stakeholder participation

But how are these challenges bestmet?

The IRBM Project

To examine these issues, theGovernment of Malaysia has initiatedthe IRBM Project in cooperation withthe Government of Denmark. Theproject is working with two modelsviz. in the Selangor River Basin andthe Kedah River Basin, which at firstglance appear to be quite different.Selangor has established a newinstitution, LUAS, with its ownenactment for water resourcesmanagement, while Kedah, at leastinitially, is using a more informalapproach with an inter-agencycommittee chaired by the StateEconomic Planning Unit (UPEN).

A closer look reveals that there is,in fact, a range of common features.Both models recognise thatcooperation with a range ofspecialised agencies and otherstakeholders is critical, no matter howwide the mandate of the water agency.

Both models therefore depend oninter-agency or stakeholdercommittees and sub-committees orworking groups to deal with specialissues.

A very common way to deal withissues that involve differentstakeholders, in Malaysia as well asin other countries, is to establish acommittee. This can be done easily,requires no legal changes and can bean effective coordination mechanismthat brings the key stakeholderstogether.

There are many types ofcommittees. Some have strongpolitical support and are very active,and they can be very effective – bothas temporary committees establishedto solve a particular problem, and asstanding committees that have a morepermanent nature. Other committeesare established to put an inconvenientissue on hold until the political orpublic interest has diminished, andthis kind is naturally not very active.There is also a more common type,which initially is active, but as otherissues prop up and take priority onthe busy agenda of the mainstakeholders, the activity declines andthe committee may even becomedormant. This is a natural process inthe life of committees. They all passthrough various phases. For acommittee to remain active, it needsa dedicated chairman, the activesupport of the members and thebacking of a dynamic secretariat.

The IRBM approach is a challengefor water administration in Malaysia.The IRBM project acknowledges thatstrong relationships between Federaland State agencies are fundamentalfor achieving positive results. Thisproject is still in its early stage, and itwill continue to explore the rightopportunities and models forintegrated resource management toovercome past problems and moveforward towards revitalising thenation’s rivers.


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Work Programme - A Contractual Perspective


By Ir. Harbans Singh K.S., B.E (Mech) S’pore, P.E., C.Eng,LLB(Hons) London, CLP, DipICArb.

Work Programme - A Contractual Perspective

ALTERATION/REVISION TO PROGRAMME

Bearing in mind the desire to maintain flexibility,the contractor should be afforded the possibility ofamending or revising the programme as and when heso desires. However, because of the effect of thecontractor’s approved programme on the contractadministrator’s obligations i.e. to furnish information,drawings, details, give necessary approvals, etc. suchflexibility is constrained by the necessity to seek thenecessary approval/consent of the contractadministrator before undertaking any revisions oralterations to the approved programme. Hence, expresscontractual provisions are usually enshrined in theconditions of contract to the following effect:

● No material alteration to the approved workprogramme is generally permitted without theapproval of the contract administrator e.g. Clause7.4 36 IEM.ME 1/94 Form;

● The contractor may modify or revise the worksprogramme with the approval of the contractadministrator to take into account any changedcircumstances or events affecting the progress and/or the execution of the works e.g. Clause 5.6 37 CIDBForm (2000 Edn.)

● If the progress of the works does not conform tothe approved programme, the contract administratormay instruct the contractor to revise the programme.The contractor shall thereafter revise the programmeto show the modifications necessary to ensurecompletion of the works within the time stipulatedfor completion e.g. Clause 7.5 38 IEM.ME 1/94 Form.

It should be appreciated that although such expressclauses are specially drafted to give wide powers tothe contract administrator vis-à-vis the exercise ofhis powers of approval to the revisions/alterations,these powers are restricted by the overall exercise ofreasonableness; a fact that must be borne in mind bycontract administrators when reviewing thecontractor’s requests for relevant modifications.

36. Entitled ‘Alteration to Programme’37. Called ‘Modification or Revision To Work’s Programme

and/or Method Statement’38. Entitled “Revision of Programme’.39. E.g. JKR 203, 203A (rev. 10/83), PAM ’98 Forms, etc.40. See Roger Knowles ‘100 Hundred Contractual Problems and

Their Solutions’ at P 71

By Ir. Harbans Singh K.S., B.E (Mech) S’pore, P.E., C.Eng,LLB(Hons) London, CLP, DipICArb.

Some forms of conditions of contract 39 on the otherhand, either have no such express provisions, or aregenerally silent on the question of revision oramendment of the work programme and/or thenecessity of seeking the contract administrator’sapproval for such modifications.

The consequences of such an eventuality is neatlysummed up by Roger Knowles in the following words:

‘In the absence of an express requirement to seekapproval to amend, the contractor can revise hisprogramme as he wishes. An architect or engineerwho has not been asked to approve or accept anamended programme may feel under no obligationto issue drawings in good time to enable thecontractor to comply with the revised programme’ 40

Hence, in view of the impact of the contractor’srevisions on the contract administrator’s obligationsvis-à-vis the supply of information, drawings, etc. toenable the contractor to proceed with his works asplanned, it is rare for the contractor not to seek thelatter’s approval to the revisions. Therefore, it is arule rather than an exception for the proceduregoverning the approval process to be adopted inpractice for not only the initial submission but alsofor any subsequent revisions notwithstanding theabsence of express stipulations thereto.

MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES

I. ‘Optimistic’/Shortened Programme

It is an express requirement in most contracts for thecontractor to programme his works such that he cancomplete the works ‘on or before’ the date for

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completion stated in the contract 41. Some contractorshowever, prepare and submit an ‘optimistic’ or‘shortened’ programme i.e. targeting an earliercompletion date. Various reasons have been profferedfor this practice ranging from a genuine desire toachieve earlier discharge of the contractual obligationsat one end of the spectrum to a sinister goal ofimproving the contractor’s chances of claims formonetary compensation, etc. due to an increasedpossibility of ‘acts of prevention’ on the employer’spart vis-à-vis the ‘shortened’ programme.

An ‘optimistic’ or ‘shortened’ programme shouldbe viewed with caution by the employer/ contractadministrator due to a host of reasons; the principalof which include:

● It accelerates the demands on the employer /contract administrator in undertaking their variousobligations and duties 42 e.g. furnishing information/ drawings, granting necessary approvals, etc. tomeet the ‘shortened’ or ‘earlier’ targets set by thecontractor;

● It imposes unreasonable demands on the employer’scash flow and financial allocation to meet theaccelerated payment to the contractor;

● It increases the likelihood of the employerdefaulting in his obligations to the contractor i.e.giving rise to acts of prevention that will delay thecontractor and entitle him to various contractualclaims; and

● It generally transfers the risk of default in timeobligations onto the employer.

Robinson and Lavers sum up this matter in thefollowing manner:43

‘…. a programme to complete prior to the requireddate for completion is probably within the contractor’srights and has the effect of requiring the architect toproduce his drawings for the earlier critical dates atleast as far as that may be reasonably capable ofachievement. The consultants should not query acontractor’s programme unless it is clearly unrealisticor places unreasonable demands on the employer’scash flow or the design work schedule’

Be that as it may, the legal position vis-à-vis an‘optimistic’ or ‘shortened’ programme is reflected inthe judgment of the case of Glenlion ConstructionLtd. v The Guinness Trust 44 where it was heldthat:

● There was no implied obligation on the employer tosupply information, through his architect 45, so as toenable the contractor to finish early; and

● It was neither reasonable nor equitable that thecontractor should be able to place, after thecontract had been made, a unilateral obligationon the employer 46

II. ‘Float’ In Work Programme

In preparing a programme, contractors generallyhave to make a considered decision as to, amongstothers, the specific duration that has to be allocated toa particular work activity. Where the contractoranticipates uncertainties, he must allocate a bufferperiod i.e. he must schedule that activity to take longerthan estimated to cushion him against any unforeseencircumstances. Such a contingency period, oftendubbed as ‘float’ 47 caters for uncertain risks coveringmatters of the likes of:

● Adverse ground conditions;

● Inclement weather;

● Unavailability of labour, materials, etc.;

● Strikes, lockouts, etc.;

● Rectification of self-induced mistakes; and

● Unforeseen conditions/circumstances, etc.

In view of the said time cushion, it is a commonbelief in programming circles that an activity with a‘float’ will be an activity rarely falling on the ‘criticalpath’ and hence will not constitute a ‘critical activity’.Though there may be little dispute on this matter, thereis however considerable confusion as to the ‘ownership’of the ‘float’ time, with both the contractors and theemployers /contract administrators laying claim to thiscritical item.

41. E.g. Clause 21.1 PAM ’98 Form (‘With Quantities’) Edition.42. Especially for ‘Traditional General Contracts’43. In ‘Construction Law in Singapore and Malaysia’ [2nd Edn.]

at P 299.44. [1987] 30 BLR 8945. Or the Contract Administrator.46. The ‘ICE Design and Construct Contract: A Commentary’ By

B. Eggleston at P 126.47. See ‘100 Contractual Problems and Their Solutions’ By Roger

Knowles at P 73.

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A fair amount of propositions have been forwardedby a number of authorities vis-à-vis the question as tothe ‘ownership’ of such ‘float’; notable examples ofwhich include:

● Roger Knowles 48 who opines ‘…There is no hardand fast rule but it would seem that, as a contractorwill normally include float in his programme toaccommodate his risk items which cannot beaccurately predetermined in terms of timeinvolvement, and also provide time for correctingmistakes, then the float belongs to him and theemployer or architect / engineer cannot object iflater reprogramming by the contractor absorbs it’

● Robinson and Lavers 49 are of the view that ‘wherea contractor has given himself ‘float’ in hisprogramme, such float is for his purposes only, and(unless EOT is to be allowed) must not be used upby the contract administrator’s delays or additionaldemands.’

Recently, there has been a tendency by someemployer to expressly define in the conditions ofcontract as to the ownership of the ‘float time’.Examples of the above, involve the following:

● Putrajaya Conditions of Main Contract, clause 43.07holds: ‘Float time within the work schedule belongsto the employer and the E.R. may direct that floattime be utilized by the contractor to advance theperformance of the works and the contractor shallforthwith comply with such direction at his owncost without any right to an extension of time’

● Putrajaya Conditions of Nominated Sub-Contractin clause 24.7 sets out an identical approach in thefollowing manner: ‘Float time within the sub-contract work schedule belongs to the Employer.The contractor with the approval of the E.R., maydirect that float time be utilized by the NominatedSub-Contractor to advance the performance of theSub-Contract works and the Nominated Sub-contractor shall forthwith comply with suchdirection at his own cost without any right to anextension of time’.

In summarizing the discussion on this subject, therelevant matters that need to be taken cognizance ofare as set out herebelow:

● Where the parties have expressly set out anddefined the question as to the effect and ‘ownership’of the float time 50, prima facie such intentions willbe duly enforced within the context of the contract;

● In the event the contract is silent on the abovematter, the general legal position is as reflected perthe views of the authorities quoted hereabove 51 i.e.the float time belongs to the contractor and is notat the disposal of the employer / contractadministrator; and

● Even in situations where there are expressprovisions in the contract, transferring ownershipof the ‘float time’ to the employer, the effectivenessof such stipulations in terms of enforceability inactual practice is questionable owing to theexistence of a number of factors including, interalia:

a) The operation of the ‘contra proferantum’ rule;

b) The satisfaction of the ‘reasonableness’ test; and

c) The lack of motivation for the contractor toprogramme his activities to include ‘float time’;which at the end of the day is not of anyadvantage to him.

The employer may be under a delusion that suchan express clause effectively protects him and transfersrisk of delay, perhaps, for ‘acts of prevention’ on tothe contractor’s shoulders. In the first place, unless hecan show that such an agreement was not unilaterallyimposed but reached through mutual consent by partiesof equal ‘bargaining strength’, the effectiveness of theclause is questionable 52. The latter is further erodedby actual implementation in practice. Short of activelyinterfering with the contractor’s programming of worksby directing the inclusion of specific float time inparticular activities (thereby infringing the contractor’sright to sequence his work as per his requirements),there appears to be no practical method for theemployer to enforce this right.

III. Failure of Contractor to Follow Programme

As we have seen in the preceding sections of thispaper 53 it is a common practice for most standardforms of conditions of contract to impose an obligationon the contractor to submit a work programme. Theconsequences of the contractor in defaulting as to this

48. Ibid.49. ‘In Construction Law in Singapore and Malaysia’ [2nd Edn.]

at P 29950. E.g. The Putrajaya Conditions of Main and Nominated

Sub-contracts51. I.e. Roger Knowles and Robinson and Lavers52. Even under the ‘Doctrine of Freedom to Contract’


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requirement have also been adequately dealt with.Notwithstanding the contractor’s submission of sucha document, a cardinal issue that often arises is oneconcerning the contractual ramifications consequentto the contractor’s failure to follow the programmethat has been submitted and duly approved by thecontract administrator.

In formulating a suitable answer to the query raised,one has to be mindful of the very nature of theprogramme itself i.e. it has to be a flexible document.This view is buttressed by the fact that most, if not allthe standard conditions of contract, either expresslyor impliedly refuse to categorize the work programmeas a contract document; 54 thereby watering down anycontractual obligation on the contractor in respect ofthe programme.

The concern that next arises in challenging theabove approach revolves around the various expressprovisions in most standard conditions of contract 55

that require the contractor to proceed with:

● Due diligence and expedition and without delay;● In accordance with the contract; and● By reference to the works programme and/or

method statement, etc.

Prima facie, such express provisions appear toimpose a contractual obligation on the contractor tocomply with his programme; failure to do so being abreach of contract. However the consequences of sucha breach are neither expressly spelt out nor madesufficiently clear in most conditions of contract.Furthermore, in the case of Glenlion Construction Ltd.v The Guinness Trust 56 it was held that a contractorwas entitled to carry out and complete the contractwork by any date that was not later than the stipulateddate for completion irrespective of any workprogramme submitted and approved: there being nocontractual obligation on him to work to a programme.

The consequences of the failure of the contractorto proceed in accordance with his programme hasdrawn a number of useful comments from academicsand authorities; notable examples of which includethe following:

● Eggleston in ‘The Design and Construct Contract:A Commentary’ 57 states:

‘Although failure by the contractor to proceed withdue expedition and without delay is a breach ofcontract, it is not fully clear whether or not theemployer has a remedy other than damages for late

completion. Clause 65 58 includes the default of failingto proceed with due diligence as ground fordetermination but it is arguable that diligence relatesto correctness and that it does not extend to expedition’

● Sundra Rajoo is of the opinion that: 59

‘Divergence from the work programme will notattract adverse contractual effect. Hence, the failureto comply with such a programme is not in itself abreach of contract but it may contribute to evidence offailure to proceed ‘regularly and diligently’ inaccordance with clause 21.1 60. For example, thearchitect may form a view based on the failure of thecontractor to follow the scheduled events as timetabledor more generally, the failure to ‘regularly anddiligently’ proceed, in which case he may giveinstructions to expedite the progress and call forrevisions to the work programme’

● In ‘Construction Law in Singapore and Malaysia’,61

Robinson and Lavers hold that:

‘…… there is no contractual obligation to work toa programme. Thus, linkage between the contractand construction management was, and largely,remains weak, and contractual remedies remaininadequate but nevertheless continuing progress remaineffective only in extreme cases where the employer’sinterest has become severely prejudiced. Orders forspecific performance are not a viable alternative remedy……’

The salient points that can be crystallised from theabovementioned discussion can be adumbrated asherebelow:

● The work programme being intended to be a flexibledocument is seldom classified as a contract document.Hence, the failure of the contractor to comply withthe said programme, prima facie, therefore avoidsimposing a contractual obligation on him to work tothe said programme;

53. Entitled ‘Express Contract Provisions’.54. See Section entitled ‘Status of the Programme’.55. e.g. Clause 17.1 CIDB Form (2000) Edn.56. [1987] 30 BLR 89 as reported in ‘Construction Law in

Singapore and Malaysia’ [2nd Edn.] by Robinson and Laversat P 29.

57. At P 246.58. Of the ‘ICE Design and Construct Conditions59. See ‘The Malaysian Standard Form of Building Contract [2nd

Edn.] at P 82 and 83.60. Of the PAM ’98 Form.61. [2nd Edn.] by Robinson and Lavers.


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● Even in the face of express contractual provisionsprescribing the contractor’s performance of theworks to comply with the programme and/or tothe contract as a whole, following Glenlion’s Casethe contractor is merely obliged to carry out andcomplete the contract works latest by the date forcompletion stipulated in the contract 62; and

● Should the contractor fail to comply with theprogramme, the employer’s remedies are limited tothe following:

a) Damages 63 for late completion i.e. should thecontractor fail to complete the works by the datefor completion stipulated in the contract and /or any approved revised date;

b) Instructing the contractor to expedite the worksand requiring the contractor to revise theprogramme to reflect the necessary changesarising from the said instructions; and/or

c) Determining the employment of the contractorunder the contract provided:

i) There is a clause in the contract 64 permittingthe employer to determine the contractor’semployment; and

ii) There is an express ground fordetermination premised on failure toproceed ‘regularly and diligently’ with theworks 65; and

iii) The employer is able to establish that thecontractor’s failure to comply with theprogramme constitutes the default of failingto proceed ‘regularly and diligently’ withthe works and has severely prejudiced hisinterests under the contract.

Apart from the above-listed options, there appearto be no other viable alternatives for the employer toadopt consequent to the failure of the contractor tofollow the work programme.

CONCLUSION

The work programme is one of the most significanttools employed both by Contractors and ContractAdministrators (and more often than not by Employers)as a means of ensuring that the contents of the contractdocuments are realized into the eventual end productthat meets the expectations of all parties involved inthe construction process. It is also features as aprominent document that forms part of the contractor’ssubmittal during the early stages of the commencementof the works. Owing to the recognition that has beenafforded to it over the years, the work programme hasmoved from the backwaters of a typical contractactivity to assume a forefront role; in the process alsogenerating a host of issues (both contractual andprocedural) that has taken many an ill-informedpractitioner off-guard. It should be apparent from theforegoing discussion that the topic of work programmeis not that straightforward as it is assumed to be.

It has many facets that require addressing by thedifferent parties; some of these being merely of aprocedural nature whilst others exhibit a contractual/legal hue. With the growing complexity of engineeringand construction projects having multi-party, multidisciplinary and multi-layered activities, the instanttopic has generated and will continue to spew-out inthe foreseeable future areas of contention and claimswith their attendant contractual consequences. It ishoped that the topic under review be given a morefocused and serious consideration to ensure that thetypical project’s aim of ensuring quality, cost and time(without the attendant claims) is satisfactorily realized.

REFERENCES

■ B. Eggleston, ‘The ICE Design and Construct Contract:A Commentary’ [2nd End.], Blackwell ScientificPublications.

■ Duncan Wallace, ‘Hudson’s Building and EngineeringContracts’, [13th Edn.] Sweet & Maxwell

■ Ir. Harbans Singh K.S. ‘Engineering and ConstructionContracts Management: Commencement andAdministration’ Lexis-Nexis Business Solutions.

■ M.W Abrahamson, ‘Engineering Law and the ICEContracts’, [4th Edn.], Blackwell Science.

■ Robinson, Lavers, Tan & Chan, ‘Construction Lawin Singapore and Malaysia’, [2nd End.], Butterworths.

■ Roger Knowles, ‘100 Contractual Problems and TheirSolutions’, Blackwell Science.

■ Sundra Rajoo, ‘The Malaysian Standard Form ofBuilding Contract’ [2nd Edn.], Malayan Law Journal.

■ Vincent Powell-Smith, ‘An Engineering ContractDictionary’ Legal Studies and Services (Publishing)Ltd.

62. Or any other revised/extended date63. i.e. Liquidated and Ascertained Damages, etc.64. E.g. Clause 25.1 PAM ’98 Form.65. Sub-clause 25.1 (ii) PAM ‘98 Form.


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In any organisation, be it small orlarge and in whatever industry,there is a need for management.Management is essential to ensure

that an organisation operates in anorderly manner as opposed to a chaoticmanner. The two terms that needfurther explanation are “organisation”and “management”.

An organisation is defined as agroup (at least two or more persons)of people with formally assigned tasks,working hand-in-hand to achieve theorganisation’s intended goals (Dessler,2004, p.2) or is classically defined asa system of consciously coordinatedactivities or forces of two or morepeople (Barnard, 1938, p.73).

Management is defined as theprocess of coordinating work activitiesin such a manner that they arecompleted efficiently (gaining the mostoutput by adopting the least amount ofinputs) and effectively (performing theright activities in order to attainorganisational goals) with and throughother people and involves the on-goingfunctions of planning, organising,leading and controlling (Robbins &Coulter, 2003, p.6; Bartol & Martin,2003, p.17).

Control can involve various areassuch as the control of costs (financialresources), control of schedule (timemanagement), control of workers(human resources management), etc. Inthis paper, we shall be primarily focused

drawings and specifications, ensuringdesigns conform to latest engineeringstandards, etc. These are routine to mostmanagers. It is nowadays common tomake use of engineering software thatperforms engineering designs with justa click of a mouse button and thedesigns can be modelled to comply withvarious engineering standards.However, engineers should realise thatcomputers are merely tools and shouldnot blindly accept the results withoutunderstanding how the values weregenerated. Some famous quotes (Bott,1997; Paulino, 2000) on the finiteelements, a computational method forengineering analysis are as follows:

A structure is not obliged to behavehow the computer says it should,regardless of how expensive theprogramme, how many digits in theresults, or how elegant the graphicsdisplay.

Computer graphics have achievedsuch a polish and versatility as toinspire great trust in the underlyinganalysis, a trust that may beunwarranted. (One can make moremistakes with more confidence than everbefore.)

Although the Finite Element methodcan make a good engineer better, it canmake a poor engineer more dangerous.

An analyst unable to do even a crudepencil and paper analysis of the problemprobably doesn’t know enough toattempt a solution by finite elements.

on the managerial function of controlin terms of technical aspects. Theauthor would like to highlight themanagerial function of controlespecially on technical aspects at theconstruction site as through focusingof technical aspects it is highly possiblethat untoward incidences such asstructural failure due tomisconstruction, bad workmanship, etc.can be avoided.

EXTERNAL AND INTERNALCONTROLS

As mentioned earlier, managementinvolves, planning, organising, leadingand controlling. In the consultingengineering industry, we can categorisethe managerial function of control intoexternal and internal controls. Controlis the managerial task of ensuring thatthe activities carried out are providingthe desired results (Dessler, 2004,p.366). Put in another way, control isconcerned with seeing that the rightthings happen at the right time, in theright way (Kinicki & Williams, 2003,p.524).

Internal control, which is trivial tomost managers, indicates that themanagerial function of control isimplemented within the consultingengineering organisation. The technicalaspects of internal control in theconsulting engineering industryinvolves the checking of engineering

By Ir. Tee Horng Hean

The Managerial Function OfControl For Consulting Engineers

management

In whatever industry one is in, one cannot run away from the fact that management is required to ensure thatthe industry is operated in an orderly and efficient manner. The managerial function of control covers a widearea. Some organisations such as Mohamed Mustafa & Shamsuddin Company, a well-known Singaporeanretailer had to adopt the managerial function of control to prevent customer fraud (Yee, May 11, 2000) andwith control these can be minimised. In the United States, it is estimated that US$200 billion yearly is lostdue to employee theft and fraud (Bell & Smith, December 3, 2003; Buss, 1993, pp. 36–38). In this article,the managerial function of control is presented with respect to the technical aspects at the constructionsite. The managerial function of control is important to all managers as many untoward incidences can beprevented through the implementation of appropriate control measures.


The concept of peer review orcheckers introduced by the Board ofEngineers, Malaysia is another form ofinternal control and this would be anexcellent added measure to spot anyengineering design errors. This is anexample of the Feedforward Controlwhich shall be explained in the nextsection.

External control on the other handinvolves the implementation of themanagerial function of control outsideof the engineering consultancy firm. Asengineers spend a great deal of timesolving technical problems thatfrequently arise during the constructionstage, we shall discuss more on thisarea.

There are three types of control (seeFigure 1) namely the Feedforward,Concurrent and Feedback Control(Kinicki & Williams, 2003, p.529;Dessler, 2004, p.367).

FEEDFORWARD, CONCURRENT ANDFEEDBACK CONTROL

The Feedforward Control involvesanticipating problems before they occur.An example of the Feedforward Controlwould be an engineer advising thecontractor not to place heavyconstruction materials or equipment onthe slab supported by a cantilever beam,after these structural elements are cast.

The Concurrent Control involvescorrecting problems as they surface. Forinstance, it was noted by an engineerduring his site visits, that workersstarted placing heavy equipment on thecantilever-supported slab. Thecontractor was immediately requestedto instruct his workers to have the heavyequipment removed before any possibleover-stressing of structural elements

occur since the cantilever was notdesigned to withstand heavy equipment.

Finally, the Feedback Controlinvolves correcting problems after theyoccur and can sometimes be costly torectify the problem(s). For example, itwas found that materials and equipmentwere placed on the cantilever-supportedslab resulting in the excessive deflectionof the cantilever and cracks haddeveloped near the cantilever support.The contractor is instructed to removethe materials and equipment. Also, aproposal on the rectification of thedefects is to be prepared by thecontractor (which would incur time andmoney).

CARRYING OUTEXTERNAL CONTROL

With regard to externa l lyimplement ing contro l a t theconst ruct ion s i te , engineersnowadays can adopt theadvancement of information andcommunication technology andrelevant information pertaining tothe conditions at a construction sitethrough the use of mobile phone,te lephone , fax , modem,teleconferencing, etc.

Theoretically, with the advancementof information and communicationtechnology, engineers can obtaininformation pertaining to aconstruction site without physicallybeing there but engineers must still bephysically be at the project site as thisis mandatory.

A letter written by Tan Sri Dato’ Ir.Talha Haji Mohd. Hashim dated June21,1989 (the then President of the Boardof Engineers, Malaysia), addressed toall Professional Engineers, reminded

them to supervise their construction oftheir projects (ACEM, 2001, p. 250) asthrough supervision only then canengineers rectify any problems thatoccur and also to prevent anyanticipated problems that may arise. Itis a fact that not all problems can besolved without visiting the site. Evencontractors are faced with a similarsituation. Before the submission of theirtender prices, contractors are normallyadvised to visit the site as this wouldaid them in pricing realistically ratherthan based on assumptions andintuition which may be inaccurate orwrong.

ADVANTAGES/IMPORTANCEOF CONTROL

● Legal Aspects

According to Section 71 of theStreet, Drainage and Building Act,1974:-

71. Where any building or part ofbuilding fails, whether in the course ofconstruction or after completion, orwhere there is any failure in relation toany earthworks or part of anyearthworks, whether in the course ofthe carrying out of the earthworks orafter completion thereof and the causeof such failure is due to any one or moreof the following factors:(a) Misconstruction or lack of proper

supervision during construction;(b) Misdesign or miscalculation; or(c) Misuse

of such building or part of such building,or of such earthworks or part of suchearthworks, the person responsible for:

(aa) such misconstruction or suchlack of proper supervision;

(bb) such misdesign ormiscalculation; or

(cc) such misuse,

shall be liable on conviction to a finenot exceeding fifty thousand dollars orto imprisonment for a term notexceeding ten years or to both.

Building is defined in the Act asfollows:

“Building” includes any house,hut, shed or roofed enclosure, whetherused for the purpose of a humanhabitation or otherwise, and also anywall, fence, platform, staging, gate,

Figure 1: Types of ControlSource: Adopted From: Kinicki, A. & Williams, B. K., 2003, Management – A PracticalIntroduction, McGraw Hill, Boston, p.529.

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management

post, pillar, piling frame, hoarding,slip, dock, wharf, pier, jetty, landing-stage or bridge or any structuresupport or foundation connected tothe foregoing;

Also, it is stipulated in the UniformBuilding By-Laws 1984, By-Law 5,that supervision of a project site ismandatory before the erection of abuilding can take place.

Since engineers shoulder a veryheavy professional obligation,engineers should see to it that“building” failures do not occur toavoid being involved in any sort oftedious process of litigations. Onlythrough implementing the managerialfunction of control can engineersensure that negative occurrences areprevented.

● Workmanship

I t is not uncommon to findunskil led workers carrying outconstruction works in the project site.This is another good reason why siteinspections should be carried out.Some of the shoddy andunsatisfactory works that one mayhave had experienced are inadequatecover to steel reinforcements,inadequate lever arm for reinforcedconcrete structural members,insufficient lap length, and notfollowing construction drawings.

There are times where workers mayimprovise their method of work forconvenience and if no monitoring orinspection whatsoever were carried out,failure may highly be probable.

For instance, as noted by David H.Nicastro in an investigation, thestructural beams at a site failed becauseworkers installing the shear links spacedout the stirrups equally though the linkswere designed and drafted as unequallyspaced (see Figure 2 ) and afterconstruction, a progressive failure of thebeams occurred. It was noted by DavidH. Nicastro that in order to prevent suchfailures, monitoring is essential(Nicastro, 1997, p.16).

Workers tend to carry out their tasksas they like and to prevent suchoccurrences, they need to be controlledthrough supervision.

● Economic Benefits

For the economic benefit of the on-going project, it is a fact that whatevershortcomings noted initially would besimpler and less costly to rectify when

identified at the initial stage rather thanrectifying problems at the later stageas they involve more complications.The old saying goes, “A stitch in timesaves nine”. Let’s take for instance, aworker is found to be workingdangerously by not providing safetyharness while painting the rafter of aportal frame. If there is no monitoringand control of safety, the worker isworking under an extremely riskycondition which is hazardous to his life.If an accident occurs, the contractorwould be sued for compensation, etc.and this would mean monetary loss anddelay in completion of the project.

physical or objective influences(Bateman & Snell, 2004, p.34). In theHawthrone studies, the researchersdiscovered that the workers felt thatthey were special since they wereobserved (Dessler, 2004, p.12) and inother words, if workers are given specialattention, their productivity would beincreased (Kinicki & Williams, 2003,p.43) and this is known as theHawthrone effects.

Therefore, an indirect advantage offrequent site inspections or supervisionwould be an increase in workers’motivation and productivity especiallywhen the workers are observed andgiven due attention.

ADOPTING ENGINEERING WAPAPPLICATIONS IN CARRYING OUTEXTERNAL CONTROL

There are times whereby an engineermay need to make prompt technical-based decisions at the construction site.Many a time, technical-based decisionsmay require an engineer to refer to hisdesign office to undertake appropriateengineering calculations and this maytake some time known as informationfloat. Information float is the time(which can be as long as several days)when a written letter, document or otherinformation is in transit between thesender and receiver, and thusunavailable for any action or response(O’Brien, 1997, p.228). However, withthe advancement of technology today,through the use of mobile phones orother wireless devices that are WAP-enabled, an engineer is able to performappropriate engineering calculations onthe spot using a mobile phone. As longas an engineer codes his programmecorrectly, he should be able to obtainthe correct results using an EngineeringWAP Application. An example of anEngineering WAP Application writtenby the author to design moments for arectangular section of reinforcedconcrete beam can be downloadedfrom the URL, http://www.freesoftware.com.my/bembem.wmlusing a WAP-enabled mobile phone (seeFigure 3, Figure 4 and Figure 5).

Besides being able to performengineering calculations, engineers canalso code in appropriate Clauses fromthe Code of Practices as an aid to remindhim of certain requirements. Forinstance, when an engineer isperforming his rounds and suspects thatthe lapping of reinforcement bars areinadequate and he can vaguely

● Motivation andThe Hawthrone Studies

The Hawthrone studies started offwith a scientific approach and werecarried out in 1924 to research the effectof increasing the illumination levels onworker’s productivity (Robbins &Coulter, 2003, pp.38 – 39). However,it was found that there was norelationship between increasing theintensity of light and the worker’sproductivity. Surprisingly, it was foundthat by decreasing the intensity of light,productivity of workers continued toimprove, opposing common logic. Itwas concluded that productivity ofworkers are affected by psychologicaland social factors rather than by


Figure 2: Failure of precast beamSource: Adapted From: Nicastro, D. H.,1997, Failure Mechanisms in BuildingConstruction, ASCE Press, Virginia, p.16.

remember the precise amount of thenumber of times of bar diametersrequired for lapping, he can instantlyconnect his mobile phone to his serverto obtain the appropriate clause he hascoded.

Other than that, other engineeringformulae can also be coded in andengineers can retrieve the appropriateformula when required. Similar to that,an engineer could also code informationsuch as the properties of UniversalBeams, Universal Columns, etc. andwhere the need of this informationarises, the engineer can promptlyperform a quick calculation and makeuse of a particular steel section byreferring to the cross-sectional area,elastic modulus, etc. through the use ofWAP Engineering Applications.

Basically, the main advantage ofWAP Engineering Applications is thatthe user is mobile and he can accessinformation, perform calculations, etc.anytime and anywhere as long as thereis adequate network coverage.

It is possible with the currenttechnology for site staff such as theclerk of works and the supervisor toadopt WAP applications. Basically, thetraditional inspection forms can bereplaced by an appropriate WAPapplication and WAP-enabled mobilephones can be used to download theWAP-version of inspection form.Consequently, every structural elementsuch as columns, beams, slabs, etc. thatare being inspected can be updated overthe Internet in real-time by pushing thebuttons on the mobile phone. Theengineer involved in the project couldthen be able to monitor if say aparticular column has been cast to the

May be an Inside Job”, WorkforceOnline, [Online], Available fromURL: http://www.workforce.com.

(6) Bott, A., 1997, AnalyticalInvestigation of Bone-pin Stresses,[Online], Available from URL:http://freespace.virgin.net/aden.bott/fyp.html [Accessed 11May 2004].

(7) Buss, D., September 1993, “Waysto Curtail Employee Theft”,Nation’s Business.

(8) C. May Yee, “Singaporean SariStore is Undone by Fraud Online”,Interactive Wall Street Journal,[Online], Available from URL:http://www.interactie.wsj.com.

(9) Dessler, G., 2004, Management –Principles and Practices forTomorrow’s Leaders, ThirdEdition, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

(10) Kinicki, A. & Williams, B. K.,2003, Management – A PracticalIntroduction, McGraw Hill,Boston.

(11) Nicastro, D. H., 1997, FailureMechanisms in BuildingConstruction, ASCE Press,Virginia.

(12) O’Brien, J. A., 1997, Introductionto Information Systems, EightEdition, McGraw Hill, Boston.

(13) Paulino, G. H., 2000, Warning:The Computed Answer May BeWrong, [Online], Available fromURL: http://www.ce.uiuc.edu/pau l ino /cee361/handout s /wrcabm.hm [Accessed 11 May2004].

(14) Robbins, S. P. & Coulter, M.,2003, Management, SeventhEdition, Prentice Hall, NewJersey.


required dimension, adequate bars havebeen provided, adequate reinforcementcover has been allowed for, etc.

CONCLUSION

Some of the importance/advantagesof implementing control have beenpresented. One should also note thatjust as there are advantages inimplementing the managerial functionof control, there also exists barriers dueto too much control, too little employeeparticipation, over-emphasis on meansinstead of ends, over-emphasis onpaperwork and over-emphasis on oneinstead of multiple approaches, etc.(Kinicki & Williams, 2003, pp. 545-546). When adopting a suitable controlsystem to manage an organisation,these barriers to controls should beaccounted for.

REFERENCES

(1) ACEM, 2001, Association ofConsulting Engineers, MalaysiaDirectory 2000 – 2001,Association of ConsultingEngineers, Malaysia, KualaLumpur.

(2) Barnard, C. I., 1938, The Functionsof the Executive, HarvardUniversity Press, Cambridge.

(3) Bartol, K. M. & Martin, D. C., 2003,Manangement, Third Edition,McGraw Hill, Boston.

(4) Bateman & Snell, 2004,Management – The NewCompetitive Landscape, SixthEdition, McGraw Hill, Boston.

(5) Bell, A. M. & Smith, D. M., 3December 2000, “Theft and Fraud

Figure 5: Executingthe WAP Engineering Application

Figure 3: A WAP EngineeringApplication

Figure 4: Variables to be input

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management

M alaysia has anequatorial climatewith constant hightemperatures and high

relative humidity. The climate isinfluenced by the northeast andsouthwest monsoons. The former,prevailing between November andFebruary, brings heavy rainfall (asmuch as 600 mm in 24 hours inextreme cases) predominantly to theeast coast of Peninsular Malaysia andto Sabah and Sarawak. Rain bearingwinds also comes with the southwestmonsoon from April to September,though rainfalls during this period aregenerally less than during thenortheast monsoon. There are, inaddition, two transitional periodsbetween the monsoons (inter-monsoon) when convectionalthunderstorms are common.

The annual average rainfall is2,420 mm for Peninsular Malaysia,2,630 mm for Sabah and 3,830 mmfor Sarawak, with heavierprecipitation recorded in the eastcoast of Peninsular Malaysia and thecoastal regions of Sabah andSarawak.

There are two basic types ofrainfall causing flooding viz. (i)moderate intensity, long-durationrainfall covering a wide area; and (ii)high intensity, short-durationlocalised rainfall. In addition, floodrecords indicate that there is aseasonal pattern of flood occurrences.The east coast and the southern partof Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah andSarawak are mainly affected by floodsduring December to January when thenortheast monsoon is prevailing.Flooding occurs due to widespreadprolonged heavy rainfall resulting ina large concentration of runoff whichis very much in excess of the

capacities of streams and rivers.Extensive areas are often inundated.

The west coast of PeninsularMalaysia, on the other hand, is mainlyaffected from September to Novemberduring the inter-monsoon periodwhen convectional thunderstormsbecome prevalent. Such storms bringshort but very intense rainfall, whichseverely overloads the drainagesystems, causing localised ‘flash’floods.

MAJOR FLOOD EVENTS ANDCAUSES OF FLOODING

Several major floods have beenexperienced in the last few decades.As far back as 1886, a severe floodwith gale-force winds caused extensivedamages in Kelantan. The flood of1926, supposedly the worst in livingmemory in Malaysia, affected most ofPeninsular Malaysia, resulting inextensive damages to property, roadsystems and agricultural land andcrops. In 1967, disastrous floodssurged across the Kelantan,Terengganu and Perak river basins,taking 55 lives. A few years later, in1971, a catastrophic flood swept acrossmany parts of the country. Pahang wasseverely affected, suffering greateconomic losses in the form ofproperty and crops, as well as a deathtoll of 24. Kuala Lumpur, the Federalcapital, suffered equally the wrath ofthe flood, an incident thatovershadowed all past memories offloods in Malaysia.

Flood occurrences seem to begetting more frequent in recent years,especially in some cities like KualaLumpur, Penang and Kuching whererapid urbanisation is taking place.

The main causes of flooding inMalaysia are as follows:

● Loss of flood storage as a resultof development extending intoand taking over flood plains anddrainage corridors

● Increased runoff rates due tourbanisation

● Inadequate drainage systems orfailure of localised drainageimprovement works, extendedinsufficiently downstream

● Constriction at bridges andculverts that are eitherundersized or partially blockedby debris build-up or from othercauses

● Siltation in waterway channelsfrom indiscriminate landclearing operations

● Localised continuous heavyrainfall

● Tidal backwater effect● Inadequate river capacity

FLOOD CONTROL MEASURES

Following the disastrous 1971flood, the Government took severalpositive steps to deal with the floodproblem. Among these were:

● Establishment of the PermanentFlood Control Commission

● Establishment of flood disasterrelief machinery

● Implementation of structuralmeasures

● Implementation of non-structural measures

● Setting up of flood forecastingand warning systems

● Carrying out of river basinstudies and preparation ofdrainage master plans for majortowns

● Setting up of a nationwidenetwork of hydrological andflood data collection stations

By Ir. Chia Chong Wing, Deputy Director, Bahagian Saliran dan Tebatan Banjir

Managing Flood ProblemsIn Malaysia


Managing Flood ProblemsIn MalaysiaBy Ir. Chia Chong Wing, Deputy Director, Bahagian Saliran dan Tebatan Banjir

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Permanent FloodControl Commission

The Permanent Flood ControlCommission was established by aCabinet decision on December 21,1971 to study short-term measures toprevent the occurrence of floods andlong-term measures for floodmitigation. The Commission, in itsfirst sitting, drew up the followingterms of reference:

● To take measures for flood controland to reduce the occurrence offloods

● In the event of floods, to minimisedamage and loss of life andproperty

The main objective of the FloodCommission is prevention rather thancure. Since its inception, theCommission’s recommendations ofprojects for flood control have beenmade with the overall view of meetingthe objectives of the New EconomicPolicy of eradicating poverty andrestructuring society. The Commissionis presently chaired by the HonoraryMinister of Agriculture with theDrainage and Irrigation Department(DID) acting as the Secretariat. (In2004, due to the recent Cabinetdecision of placing DID under thenewly formed Ministry of NaturalResources and Environment, it isenvisaged that the chairmanship ofthe Commission will be transferred tothe new Minister of Natural Resourcesand Environment.)

Flood Disaster Relief MachineryThis machinery was established

with the objective of co-ordinatingrelief operations at the Federal, stateand district levels so that assistancecan be provided to flood victims inan orderly and effective manner.Overall, the coordination of reliefoperations is the responsibility of theNatural Disaster Relief Committee.This committee is headed by theMinister of Information with itssecretariat at the National SecurityCouncil. The committee isempowered, among other things, todeclare any district, state or even thewhole nation to be in a state ofdisaster so as to be eligible for gettingfinancial assistance from the FederalGovernment for remedial works inaddition to the allocation of fundsunder the operation budget. Membersof this Committee includeGovernment departments/agenciesand social organisations whichprovide shelter, rescue and foodsupplies in case of disaster. At leastonce a year, normally before thenortheast monsoon, the Committeewill meet to ensure that its machinerywill run smoothly.

River Basin StudiesThe objective of river basin studies

is to draw up appropriate flood mapsand also feasible projects for therespective basin areas so that theirdevelopment is properly managed andthat water resources management,including flood control measures, is

effective and well-controlled. Thesestudies recommend the optional floodcontrol planning and design criteriafor the respective basins. Generally,socio–economic considerations forthe basin will dominate the designcriteria.

Since 1972, a number of riverbasin studies have been carried outfor rivers where major flood problemsexist. The objective of these studiesis to draw up master plans for waterresources development, and measuresfor flood mitigation form animportant component. To date, morethan 26 river basin studies have beencompleted, including Kuala Lumpur(1974 and 2002), Pahang River (1974),Kelantan River (1978 and 1989),Terengganu River (1978), LimbangRiver (1978), Kinabatangan River(1982), Samarahan River (1983), BatuPahat River (1984), Johor River(1985), Golok River (1985), BesutRiver (1988), Klang River (1978,1989and 1994), Menggatal, Sabah (1999),Miri Flood Diversion (2000), Linggi(2000), Selangor River (2000), andBernam (2001).

Realising the need for a long-termwater resources development strategyand master plan, the Government hascarried out a National WaterResources Study (1982) to develop acomprehensive and coordinated waterresources development programmefor the country. The study hasformulated a long-term plan for floodmitigation works in various flood-prone areas in the country. Thisincludes improvement of 850 km ofriver channels, construction of 12multi-purpose dams, 82 km of floodbypass, 12 ring bunds around urbancentres, and resettlement of about10,000 people in flood-prone areas.The whole plan was estimated to costRM2.55 billion (1982 estimate) overa period of 20 years and will provideprotection to some 1.8 million people.(However, the cost for future floodmitigation works is now estimated tobe in the region of RM17 billion forthe next 15 years and the estimatednumber of people affected by floodinghas now risen to 4.82 million.)

A number of studies have alsobeen carried out with the aim ofalleviating flood problems in variouslocations in the country. These include


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the Cukai Flood Mitigation Study,Lower Perak Flood Mitigation Studyand the Kangar Flood MitigationStudy, as well as drainage master planstudies for the towns of Butterworthand Bukit Mertajam, Kuala Lumpur,Alor Setar, Sandakan/Tawau/KotaKinabalu, Bintulu, Johor Bahru,Kelang and Port Kelang, Seremban,Melaka, Kuantan, Kota Bharu, KualaTerengganu, Port Dickson, Raub,Kerteh, Teluk Intan, Penang,Langkawi, Batu Pahat, Sungai Petani,Kuching, Ipoh and the MultimediaSuper Corridor (MSC).

Flood Mitigation MeasuresFrom the studies that have been

carried out, various structural(curative) as well as non-structural(preventive) measures have beenproposed to alleviate flood problems.Under structural measures,engineering methods are used to solvethe flood problems. The river capacitycan be increased to accommodate thesurplus runoff through channelimprovement, construction of leveesand embankments, flood bypasses,river diversions, poldering, andconstruction of flood storage damsand flood attenuation ponds, eithersingly or in combination.

Non-structural measures, on theother hand, are proposed whereengineering measures are notapplicable or viable, or wheresupplemental measures are required.They include restriction ofdevelopment, land use zoning,resettlement of population, floodproofing, and flood forecasting andwarning systems.

Numerous major flood mitigationprojects for urban areas have beenexecuted. Apart from urban areas, theaspects of flood mitigation and floodfighting have also been implementedin fast-growing agricultural areassuch as the Integrated AgriculturalDevelopment Project (IADP) areas,namely Perlis IADP, Western JohorIADP, Ketara IADP, Kemasin SemarakIADP and Samarahan IADP.

Under the 2nd Malaysia Plan(1971-1975), only a sum of RM14million was spent for flood mitigationprojects. This was followed by the 3rd

Malaysia Plan (1976-1980) with anexpenditure of RM56 million, the 4th

Malaysia Plan (1981-1985) withRM141 million, the 5th Malaysia Plan(1986-1990) with RM155 million, the6th Malaysia Plan (1991-1995) withRM431 million, the 7th Malaysia Plan(1996-2000) with RM845 million, andthe 8th Malaysia Plan (2001-2005)with an allocation of RM2.7 billion.It is estimated that the cost for futureriver improvement and floodmitigation works for the next 15 yearswill amount to some RM17 billion.

STRUCTURAL MEASURES(ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS)

Structural measures are actuallyengineering methods which includethe following:

Flood Control DamsThese dams are constructed to

retain flood water in order to protectareas downstream of the dams.Construction of storage dams solelyfor flood control purposes is generallyeconomically not viable and suchdams are frequently utilised for otherpurposes such as water supply. Inaddition, dams constructed forhydroelectric purposes also have aportion of their capacity allocated forflood detention.

Among the dams speciallyconstructed for flood mitigation areBatu Dam, Semberong Dam, BekokDam and Macap Dam, while irrigationdams include Muda Dam, Pedu Dam,Timah Tasoh Dam, Bukit Merah Damand Beris Dam. Hydroelectric damsbuilt by Tenaga Nasional Berhadinclude Kenyir Dam, Bersia Dam,Kenering Dam, Temenggong Dam andSultan Abu Bakar Dam.

The Klang Gates Dam is anexample of a dam built for watersupply but also serves as a floodmitigation dam.

Canalisation And Related WorksCanalisation works include the

widening and deepening of channelsas well as lining the banks and bedsof the channels. They also include thereplacement of undersized structuressuch as bridges. These works arenecessary, as the original channelshave become undersized as a resultof the increase in flood flows causedby development.

Bunding Of RiversBunding of rivers prevents

overtopping and flooding of the low-lying adjacent areas. This option maygive rise to problems of internaldrainage as a result of the bunding.Bunding an urban area introduceshigh flood damage potential, as anyoccurrence of flooding as a result offlood water overtopping or breachingthe bund would be very damaging.

Storage Ponds OfFlood Attenuation

Ponds such as disused miningpools can be used for flood storage.The objective is to divert the floodwater through such ponds and thusregulate the outflow so that the floodpeaks are attenuated. This strategyhas been used in the case of Batu/Jinjang Pond Project in Kuala Lumpurwhere excess flood water is divertedfrom Sg. Gombak to Batu Pond fortemporary storage and from Sg. Kerohto Jinjang Pond. Water in the pondwill be released slowly back to theriver after the flood flow has subsided(See Figure 1).

Poldering (Ring Bund)Poldering is the provision of a ring

bund surrounding the area to beprotected. This is normally carried outfor an area which has high damagepotential but for which the cost onoverall basin-wide protection wouldbe prohibitive. It includes theprovision of internal drainage for thearea to be protected and theevacuation of flood water by pumpingduring periods of high river flows.

The present strategy of usingstructural flood control measures suchas the above has proven effective incontrolling floods and is usually theonly option available for built-upareas. However, structural measuresusually incorporate “hard”engineering measures that result inbigger channels conveying high flowsat high velocities. These measuresincur high costs as well as requiresubstantial land reserves for thechannel.

Flood Diversion Channel Or TunnelCertain river stretches especially

in major city centres, due to intensivedevelopment along both riverbanks,


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can no longer be widened or deepenedto accommodate the increasing flooddischarges through the city. Undersuch circumstances, excess floodwater has to be retained upstream instorage ponds or diverted downstreamthrough a flood diversion channel ortunnel. This is being implemented inKuala Lumpur where the StormwaterManagement and Road Tunnel(SMART) Project has become a viableand innovative solution. The SMARTsystem, when completed, will alleviateflooding in the Kuala Lumpur citycentre by diverting large volumes offlood water from entering the citycentre. The tunnel is designed toincorporate a stormwater channel anda motorway for dual purposes. Themotorway section of the tunnel isexpected to ease traffic congestion atthe southern gateway to KL City nearSungai Besi. This concept is believedto be the first of its kind in the world(See Figure 2).

NON-STRUCTURAL MEASURES(NON-ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS)

Non-structural measures areemployed more for preventing floodsfrom occurring and with the aim ofminimising losses due to flooding.These measures are broadly aimed atreducing the flood magnitude throughthe management of catchmentconditions as well as reducing theflood damage. These measurescomprise the following:

Integrated River BasinManagement (IRBM)

Under the concept of IRBM, thewhole river basin is planned in anintegrated manner and all factors aretaken into consideration when acertain development plan is proposed.Factors like zoning for river corridors,riparian areas, natural flood plains,conservation of wetlands, storageponds, etc. will be taken intoconsideration when preparing floodmanagement plans. The concept of

IRBM has been incorporated into andwill be implemented starting from the8th Malaysia Plan.

Preparation Of Guidelines AndDesign Standards

Suitable guidelines and designstandards have been prepared,specifying clear requirements, bothphysical as well as technical, for riversand their reserves, as well as floodmitigation and urban drainageprojects. These guidelines and designstandards, if followed strictly by thepublic and private sectors, will helpminimise the occurrence of floods.The Department of Drainage andIrrigation has published more than 20Hydrological Procedures as well as theUrban Drainage Planning and DesignProcedure No. 1 for use as referencematerials and guidelines by allplanners, consultants and otherGovernment agencies throughout thecountry.

Recently in the year 2000, a newUrban Stormwater ManagementManual (MASMA) has beenpublished by DID. The Manual hasobtained Cabinet approval forimplementation commencingJanuary 1, 2001 and is to becomplied with by all local authoritiesand the public and private sectors.

Figure 1 – Structural measure using flood detention ponds

Figure 2 – Structural measure using a combination of diversion tunnel and detentionponds as in SMART project in Kuala Lumpur (stormwater tunnel also functions asmotorway)


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The Manual provides control-at-source measures andrecommendations on flood fightingby utilising detention/retention,infiltration and purificationprocesses. This will result in a moreharmonious urban environmentthereby enhancing the aestheticvalue of the surroundings as well asproperty values (See Figure 3).

Resettlement Of PopulationOne positive measure to reduce

damage potential as well as loss oflife in flood-prone areas where floodswould not be significantly reducedby structural measures is to resettlethe population. Since 1971, 1,672families and 2,715 families have beenresettled in the states of Kelantan andPahang respectively.

Flood ProofingThis measure consists of

implementation of protective worksto prevent the entry of flood waterinto individual houses and specificplaces, for example, by bunding abuilding with a wall so that the flooris not submerged during a flood,thereby reducing flood damage. Inflood-prone cities like Kuala Lumpurand Penang, entrances to basementcar parks should incorporate someflood proofing measures.

Flood Forecasting AndWarning System

The provision of flood forecastingand warning system is an important,practical and low-cost measure tominimise flood losses. Flood forecastsgiven early will enable people livingin flood-prone areas to be warned sothat they can evacuate themselves andtheir belongings before the arrival ofthe flood. This can considerably reduceflood loss and damage and above all,the loss of human lives. Following the1971 flood, telemetric forecastingsystems have been installed in themajor river basins, namely Kelantan,Pahang, Perak, Sadong, Kinabatangan,Klang, Terengganu, Besut, Dungun andJohor, which are susceptible to majorfloods from time to time. A similarsystem was recently installed in theMuar river basin in Johor and moreare being planned for another 20 riversystems. VHF flood forecastingsystems have been established insmaller basins. In river basins whichare subjected to flash floods, little leadtime is available for effective warning.Therefore flood warning sirens, whichautomatically trigger once the floodlevel reaches a critical point, have beeninstalled at strategic locations alongcertain urban rivers to alert the localresidents of impending floods with theaim of minimising flood damage.

Since 1980, flood warning boardshave been erected in the major riversystems. Levels marked on thesewarning boards are correlated to thelevels at the observation point andthey enable the residents of thevillages to assess for themselves whatthe situation would be like in theirareas, upon receiving information onthe water level through radiobroadcasts, village heads and/orpolice. In recent years, a web-basedinformation system on flood warningand flood information can be readilyobtained through http://infobanjir.moa.my.

CONCLUSION

Based on the experienceaccumulated over the years inimplementing flood mitigation works,DID is today more conscious of theneed to carry out such projects on ariver basin basis rather than on apiecemeal approach. This kind ofapproach will involve a shift from thetraditional thinking in terms ofcontrolling flooding throughexpensive engineering structures tothe more comprehensive approach ofviewing the solution in terms ofmanaging flooding by incorporatingstructural as well as non-structuralmeasures. BEM

Figure 3 – MASMA concept using control-at-source solution


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Policy is a plan or a set ofprinciples established by aGovernment entity toprovide direction on a public

issue. Hence, water policy is a widelyused term that has different meaningsin different states or applications. Ingeneral, however, water policy is thebroadest general statement withrespect to water, which serves as thefoundation for a State’s water lawsand institutional arrangements.

Water policy recognises theimportance of water resources andsets forth the Government’s intentionswith respect to water, whether theapproach is or is not to activelymanage water resources. In fact, lackof a water policy probably indicatesthat a state does not havecomprehensive objectives for its waterresources. The objective of managingthe quantity, quality and reliability ofthe nation’s water resources is toachieve optimum, long-term,environmentally sustainable socialand economic benefits for societyfrom their use.

The essential purpose of a waterpolicy is to change water usebehavior. No matter what approachis taken, policy ultimately intervenessomewhere in the public and/orprivate making decision process.

What is the existing water policyin Malaysia?

In Malaysia, rivers were seen asbeing resources that belonged to thenation as a whole and were availablefor common use by all citizens, butwhich were, under the FederalConstitution, controlled by the stateGovernments. The water policy issuesand goals affecting water resourcesdevelopment in Malaysia are wellrecognised by the federal and stateGovernment. However, until today,a separate and comprehensivenational water policy does not exist

in Malaysia. “Water policystatements” are found primarily in thevarious legislations related to waterwhere policy statements often precedethe description of powers and dutiesof various water resources agenciesand programmes. See InstitutionalArrangements for Water in Table 1.Equally important, current and futurewater sector policy and servicedelivery environment in Malaysia arealso spelt out by the goals andobjectives of the National OutlinePerspective Plan and the five-yearMalaysia Plans.

Thus, the historic function of thePublic Works Department and/or theState Water Supply Departments,State Water Boards or Corporations,the Department of Irrigation andDrainage and the Department of theEnvironment, among others, was tomeet the needs of those water userswhich the Government wanted toassist. Attention was focusedprimarily on the development ofwater sources, and, more recently, onthe maintenance of water quality tomeet the requirements of water users.

As Malaysia progresses to becomean industrialised nation, watermanagement in the future will bemore complex since it will no longerbe possible simply to meet thedemands of users or to ignore thedemands of any particular group.Water management will focus instead

on promoting the optimum use ofwater. As pressure on the resourcegrows, this will require that we giveas much attention to limiting wateruse as to supplying it. We are alsorequired to be able to make wateravailable for new users withoutharming the interests of existing users.

New approaches to watermanagement will be needed. Thesewill have to focus on the way in whichwater is used (efficiency, effectivenessand demand management) in eachuser sector rather than simply onpredicting, planning and supplying itswater needs. It will also require asystematic approach to resourceconservation, linked to the resourceprotection policy which need to bespelt out in the new water policy tobe formulated.

This focus on individual sectorsrequires a framework for interventionwhich, without trespassing on theunderlying autonomy of the usersector, guides its water relatedactivities towards an optimum andsustainable path and promotes a spiritof resource conservation.

The key sectors include:● agriculture, (both irrigated and

rain-fed agriculture as well asforestry) which is currently thelargest user of water although itdoes not demand as high areliability as other sectors;

● industry (including manufacturingand power generation) userswhose total consumption is not sogreat but whose requirements forquality and reliability as well aswhose impact on quality throughland use and waste dischargesimpose considerable pressures onthe resource;

● domestic and municipal users,whose water use and impact onwater quality is growing rapidlydue to the expansion of servicesand the improvement of servicesstandards;

Water Resources Management InMalaysia – The Way ForwardCompiled by Lee Koon Yew, Honorary Secretary General, Malaysian Water Association

What Is Water Policy AndWhat Is Its Purpose?


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● recreational and eco-tourism uses,which are growing and havehigh quality standards to protecthuman health and sometimesrequire large allocations as wellas controls to protect habitat inthe case of eco-tourismdevelopment.

Looking Back: Malaysia’s WaterPolicy Development Process

The policy process identifies,defines and addresses issues at some(or many) levels of Government;solutions are then formulated, policydecisions are made and they areimplemented.

Policy development process iscomplex. It involves:i. multiple layers of Government;

federal, state and localii. multiple arenas of Government;

legislative, judiciary andexecutive

iii. pre-existing laws, institutions,momentum, related policies

iv. complex, inter-related andcompeting interests

v. uncertain information;inadequate time and funding tocollect data

To appreciate the complexity ofadopting a national water policy, itmay be prudent and, perhaps,educational to review where we havebeen in the past 20 years or so.

■ In 1982, the National WaterResources Study – the firstcomprehensive study of its kind –was conducted by JICA whererecommendations in regard tothe development of a NationalWater Policy and a National WaterCouncil were made (besides forstaged investments in waterresources infrastructure to meetingwater demand requirements to2000). A draft framework wasproposed and even thoughsome of the infrastructuralrecommendations of JICA havebeen implemented in theintervening years, less emphasishas been given to therecommendations in respect ofwater legislation, policy andadministration.

■ In 1987, the first water supplyprivatisation (under the

Government’s privatisation policy)was made to Taliworks Consortiumfor the operation and managementof the Semenyih water treatmentplant. Subsequent privatisationfollowed down the years,including the corporatisation andprivatisation of entire utility’swater supply services on a state-wide basis.

■ In 1990-1992, rising concernsfor the water supply situation insome states led to the abortiveattempt to establish a NationalWater Board, with legislativechanges to powers over watersupply.

■ In 1996 a study by the NationalEconomic Research Associates, theconsultants under the EconomicPlanning Unit of the PrimeMinister’s Departmentrecommended the setting up of aSanitation Services Commission,a National Water Council and alsoa central regulator for watersupply, the National WaterCommission.

Resources Council) was circulatedfor comments by the variousBovernment agencies responsiblefor water.

■ In 2001, due to legislativeconstraints, the Governmentdecided to have two separatecentral commissions: one for water(National Water Commission) andanother for sanitation (NationalSanitation Commission). TheMinistry of Works was given theresponsibility for the former andthe Ministry of Housing and LocalGovernment for the latter.

■ In 2001, the second NationalWater Resources Study (2000-2050) was completed together witha recommendation for a NationalWater Policy to be adopted toensure the sustainable developmentof the nation’s water resources inthe long term.

■ In 2002, the Ministry of Worksappointed the International IslamicUniversity to conduct furtherstudies and recommend theestablishment of the NationalWater Commission which theGovernment had decided to be setup through administrative means.The Water SupplyBranch of the Public WorksDepartment Headquarters is to formthe core of the new body. Therecommendation was put on holdfollowing new developments (seefollowing item).

■ In July 2003, the National WaterResources Council met to discussthe state of the nation’s watersupply and arrived at the decisionto transfer the responsibilityfor water from the stateGovernments to the federalGovernment. The draft frameworkof the National Water Policy wasalso agreed to in principle by theCouncil and details are to bediscussed further at the officers’level of Government agenciesresponsible for water.

■ In 2003 to now, a main committeeand various sub-committees underthe Ministry of Works arecoordinating on-going discussionson the takeover of water from thestate Governments and theNational Water Policy.

Even though one of the primarynatural resources of Malaysia is its


■ In April 1998, at the height ofthe water shortages due to the elnino phenomena, particularly in theKlang Valley, the National WaterResources Council was established,with the Prime Minister aschairman.

■ In 1999-2000, a task force wasestablished at the Ministry ofHousing and Local Government tolook into the establishment of aNational Water and SanitationCommission to act as the centralregulator for water supply,wastewater and solid waste.

■ In 2000, a new draft framework ofthe National Water Policy by theMinistry of Works (as theSecretariat for the National Water

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bountiful supply of surface andgroundwater, users have begun toexperience freshwater shortages and/or supply depletion. We need torecognise that the economicdevelopment and well being of thestate is inextricably connected to theuse of freshwater – from surface andaquifer sources. The authorities andthe public need to realise that wateris a limited resource and that itsbeneficial use must be regulated in anequitable way when the demandbecomes as great as the supply. Whenfuture studies indicate the need andscope, it may be necessary to controlthe use of water through appropriatelegislation.

So, where are we?

I have to conclude we are basicallywhere we were in the 1980’s. We lacka legislatively-mandated nationalwater policy and water conservationtools with which to manage oneofour most important resources,WATER.

Where are we going from here?

The last time we were consideringa national water policy for watermanagement for the country was inthe late 1980’s. Frankly, I don’t believewe (policy makers, law makers, waterusers, and the general public) canafford to wait another 20 years.

It is without doubt that the countryneed to quickly adopt a national waterpolicy and agree on the manner inwhich the policy should beadministered, including its relationshipto the several state agencies presentlyhaving responsibilities in the field ofwater resources.

REFERENCES1. History of proposed water policies in

Lousiana by Zahir “Bo” Bolourchi, P.E.Chief, Water Resources Section LADOTD

2. Why does South Africa need a newwater law, and one so different fromthe old one? by Tami Sokutu, DeputyDirector General, Water Policy &Resources, DWAF, S. Africa

3. White Paper on Water Policy: SouthAfrica April 30, 1997

4. National Water Resources Study:2000 – 2050 (Prepared on March2000)


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Table 1

By Ir. Haniffa Hamid and M.Narendran, Indah Water Konsortium Sdn. Bhd.


Getting To Know The NationalSewerage Concessionaire

Sewerage management in Malaysia prior to 1993was under the jurisdiction of local authorities.The level of expertise and financial capabilitiesfor sewerage management varied widely between

local authorities nation-wide. Thus, the standard of sewerageservices was not consistent throughout the country.

In realizing the needs to upgrade the sanitation level inthe country, the Malaysian Government took a bold step infederalising the management of the sewerage services inthe country. The Sewerage Services Act (SSA) was enactedin 1993 to empower the Federal Government to regulatethe sewerage industry. The Department of Sewerage Services(SSD) was formed under the Ministry of Housing and LocalGovernment (now under Ministry of Energy, Water andCommunications), as the regulator of the sewerage industry.The SSA enabled the federalisation and privatisation ofSewerage Services. A National Concession Company bythe name of Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd (IWK) wasformed in April 1994 to undertake the management of thesewerage services throughout the country.

The target in terms of coverage of sewerage systemsunder the concession was set as follows:

(a) for the larger local authorities, the percentage ofcoverage for connected sewerage systems would reach84.3%, with the remaining 15.7 % using individualseptic tanks;

(b) for the smaller local authorities, 29.5 % of thepopulation would be served by connected seweragesystems, while the remainder 70.5% would use septic tanks

Category A Local Authorities-

Category B Local Authorities

Beginning of Concession

52% 38%

10%

Connected Services

Septic Tanks

Others

End of Concession

29.5%

70.5%

Connected Services

Septic Tank

IWK is now 100% owned by Minister of FinanceIncorporated under the Ministry of Finance. To date, IWKhas taken over the management of sewerage services inthe local authority operational areas of the entirePeninsular Malaysia with the exception of MajlisBandaraya Johor Bahru and Kelantan. IWK is responsibleto operate and maintain public sewerage systems in theseareas, as well as planning and manage the implementationof national sewerage projects. IWK also assists theGovernment in controlling sewerage systems built bydevelopers via approval and certification process.

The current Institutional framework of seweragemanagement in federalised areas of West Malaysia isdepicted in Figure 1.

As at April 2004, IWK operates and maintains over13,000km of sewer network, 7,500 sewage treatment plantsand 400 network pumping stations as well as providescheduled desludging services to over 350,000 individualseptic tank customers.

Since privatisation, the country benefited as treatmentplants taken over were refurbished to comply to designintent, the implementation of capital works for largesewerage infrastructure were taken aboard, propersewerage planning and certification works were initiatedfor long term sustainability, environmental concerns weretaken seriously and improved methods on Operationand Maintenance of Sewage Treatment Plants wereintroduced.

45%

44%

11%

Connected Services

Septic Tank

Others

Beginning of Concession

15.7%

84.3%

Connected Services

Septic Tank

End of Concession

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Series 1

Getting To Know The NationalSewerage Concessionaire

ASSET PROFILE

Among the assets managed by IWK include various types and sizes of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), whichengage a wide range of technologies.

The sewage treatment plants can be classified as follows


Federal

Government

Ministry of Housing and Local

Government (now under Ministry of

Energy, Water and Communications)

Ministry of Finance

(MoF)

Indah Water

Konsortium (IWK)

Sewerage Services

Department (JPP)

Regulator under concession agreement

100 % equity

Control of National Sewerage Development Policy

Concessionaire for the provision of Sewerage

Services

Development & Control of National Sewerage

Infrastructure Works and Services

Figure 1: Institutional framework of sewerage management in Malaysia

Type 1Communal septic tanks 60% of Total STPsAnd Imhoff Tanks 9% of Population Served

Type 2Oxidation ponds 7% of Total STPs

18% of Population Served

Type 3Aerated Lagoon 2% of Total STPs


Type 4Mechanical Plants 31% of Total STPs


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Apart from STPs, IWK also operates approximately 400network pumping stations ranging from capacity as lowas 100 PE to the largest PE of 450,000 (ultimate capacity),which is Kuyoh Pump station in Puchong. IWK alsooperates dedicated sludge treatment facilities throughoutthe country ranging from simple trenching, sludge lagoonsand drying beds to a more sophisticated treatment facilitiessuch as dewatering facilities and digestors.

IWK’S KEY BUSINESS FUNCTIONS

Over the past 10 years of operating the public seweragesystem in Peninsular Malaysia, IWK has built up acomprehensive organisation with expertise and capabilitiesin the whole range of activities involved in SewerageManagement. This includes Planning, CertificationServices, Engineering, Operation and Maintenance,Refurbishment, Project Management, and various othersupport services.

Operation & MaintenanceAs often stated, the real work of sewage works starts

when the construction of facilities is finished. Among therange of capabilities relating to operation and maintenanceof sewerage systems are:

(a) Sewage Treatment Plants• Treatment Technology and Process Optimisation• Housekeeping, cleaning, aesthetic, safety• Repair works structures, fences, internal road• Operation & equipment monitoring• Routine preventive maintenance• Laboratory analysis of effluent and sludge

(b) Sewer networks• Clearing of blockages, cleaning, desilting and• Repair of sewers.• Manhole cleaning• High pressure jetting

(c) Sludge• Desludging ISTs, STPs and transportation• Treatment of Sludge• Disposal of Treated Sludge To Landfill

(d) Laboratory• Monitoring of Effluent Quality for all public

Sewage Treatment Plants

The following are some of the operating statisticsrelating to current IWK operations:

Resources Current statusStaffing 2,050 staffVehicles (tankers, lorries, vans) 500Central Laboratory facilities 3No. of samples /year 35,00Response to complaints: > 90 % within 24 hours

95 % within 48 hours

RefurbishmentIndah Water Konsortium also carries out refurbishment

of plants taken over for operation and maintenance. Thisapplies to all plants taken over in block from local authoritiesat the time of privatisation of sewerage services, those leftover plants approved by local authorities and taken oversubsequently. Refurbishment is intended to improve existingsewage treatment plants to meet the intended designperformance.

Refurbishment programme will include activities torepair/replace equipment, improve safety and operabilityto substantially reduce occupational health and safetyrisks, improve working conditions for plant personnel,address defects and further improve the reliability of plantoperations.

Shown below are categories involved forRefurbishment of STPs and Sewer Network.

Refurbishment of STPs:(a) Category 5:

Safety & aesthetics(b) Category 4:

Mechanical works(c) Category 3:

Electrical works(d) Category 2:

Civil works(e) Category 1:

Major Treatment Performance (process)

Refurbishment of Sewer network:(a) CCTV investigations(b) Rehabilitation

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Planning and Developer ServicesIWK offers Planning Services, and has prepared

Sewerage Catchment Strategies covering all major urbanand growth areas of the country where federalisation hastaken effect. These guides development of new sewerageinfrastructure by the Government as well as private sectordevelopment, and also identification of land requiredfor sewerage facilities.

Planning objectives include:(a) develop a sustainable sewerage infrastructure(b) avoid mushrooming of sewage treatment plants via

• rationalisation• upgrading• construction of new facilities

(c) increase regionalisation(d) reduce ineffective and inefficient systems(e) effectively plan and implement capital projects(f) develop and manage asset database and information

Developer Services Section has been officiallyAccredited by UKAS under ISO 9001:2000 effectiveDecember 17, 2002, for Provision of Certification Servicesin Reviewing Sewerage Development Submission for theMalaysian Government (Certificate No: 15507).

Engineering and Project Management ServicesThis unit offers a broad range of engineering works,

which consists of survey works up to detailed processdesign and project management services for the following:(a) investigation works for capital works(b) design brief, detailed design and tender documentation

for all kinds of sewerage projects.(c) process and engineering reviews(d) EIA/EA , HAZOP studies for sewerage infrastructures(e) sewerage development quality systems

The Unit(a) Comprises a wide range of professionals - project

managers, design engineers, environmental &chemical engineers and contract administrators.

(b) Managed capital works of total value of RM1000million and the amount of works completed to date isRM 700 million

(c) Managed engineering consultants for the above works.(d) Managed full range of project management activities

from conceptual design, EIA, procurement ofconsultancy and construction contract up to testingand commissioning.

(e) Ensures high quality health, safety and environmentpractice in design and construction practices.

Fully Integrated

Centralised Sewerage

System

Refurbishment Works

ReplacementWorks

IWKPlants

DeveloperNew Plants

Sludge Treatment Works

ComplianceWorks

PrivatePlants

Concession & BacklogWorks

Over 90 catchment strategies have been completed todate.

Developer services provide consultancy service to theGovernment (JPP) by processing and vetting allsubmissions of development proposals by privatedevelopers, and recommending approvals to JPP.Inspection of works up to final inspection and handoveris also carried out.

The main stages of certification are:(a) Review of Planning Application(b) Review of Design Application(c) Intermediate Inspection(d) Final Inspection and Recommendation for CF

Research and DevelopmentThe evolution and development of the Malaysian

sewerage industry depended on foreign technologies. Themain sources of these technologies are from the developednations especially from the USA, Europe and Japan. Thereis a need for local research and development to come upwith locally developed treatment technology and locallydeveloped equipment, to ensure appropriate and fit forpurpose technologies are being utilised in the Malaysiancontent.

The design parameters used in Malaysia are based onfindings and development in the developed countries. Asthe nature of sewage, climate and micro-organisms differ


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from most developed nations, there is a need for localresearch to develop local design parameters based on localconditions and local sewage characteristics appropriate forlocal applications.

One of the ways for Malaysia to be able to develop itsown technological advancement is to extensively embarkupon research and development in the sewerage industry.Only through research and development, can the technology,skills and knowledge be developed and enhanced. Thedevelopment outputs will be very relevant to many othercountries of the world with similar climate conditions.

Before the pr ivat i sa t ion , research anddevelopment works on sewerage related issues arebeing carried out on case to case basis. One of thethrusts of privatisation is to initiate a more focusedresearch and development effort in the sewerageindustry.

Collaborative research and development has beencarr ied out be tween the Nat ional SewerageConcessionaire (IWK) and local university (UTM) ontopics related to treatment technology and designcriteria. Areas of research include:

Computer and datalogger was use tomonitor daily flowrates

Saturated conditionat laboratory

Series of permanentmagnets for singleand circulatedmagnetic treatment

Water sampling forlaboratory Analysisat Taman desaSkudai OP

Front view of BaffleSystem

location of SungaiSkudai Water QualitySampling Station

successfulapplication ofsewage effluent forlandscaping in UTM

• Determination of Per Capita Load And WaterConsumption in Sewage Treatment Design

• Inflow and Infiltration in Sewage Systems

• Magnetic Technology Assessing Sedimentation ofParticles in Sewage

• Application of Bio-Chemical Product in Assisting/Improving Treatment Performance Capability of SewageTreatment Plant (STP)

• Cost Effective Methods Upgrading MunicipalWastewater Stabilisation Ponds

• The Self-Purification Capability of Malaysian Rivers andSewerage Loading-Purify or Pollute

• Sewage Effluent Reuse – Potential Application InMalaysia


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Collaborative research and development has also beencarried out between the National Sewerage Concessionand local university (UPM) on topics related to sludgemanagement and reuse. Areas of studies include:• Utilisation of sewage sludge as fertiliser for various

crops• Utilisation of sewage sludge as soil amendment• Co-composting of sewage sludge and municipals solid

waste• Effectiveness of sludge lagoons in Malaysia• Application of sewage sludge in forest rehabilitation

and regeneration• Dewatering of waste sludge by Two Stage Integrated

Technique• Sludge thickening and dewatering with a Natural Local

Polymer• Drying of sludge for building material application

Other potential areas of research and developmentareas include:• Studies on wastewater characterisation.• Planning issues on siting, cost and land management.• Studies on sewers including rehabilitation, inflow and

infiltration and sewer modelling.• Treatment technology as appropriate and fit for purpose

in Malaysia.• Sludge management, including treatment, dewatering,

disposal and reuse.

Fertilizer

A closer look at hand-moulded clay bricks amendedwith different proportions of sludge

Forestry

Co-composting Sludge Lagoons

• Environmental issues, including effluent standards,HAZOP, biological standards.

• Septic tanks, including improvement in design, andits performance.

• Refurbishment, including Imhoff Tanks and CommunalSeptic Tanks conversion, Biosoil upgrades andOxidation Ponds upgrades.

• Effluent recycling, including its application inindustries, agriculture and landscaping.

• Industrial wastewater, potential discharges into publicsewerage systems and tariff.

• Materials, including studies on corrosion, equipmentselection and materials selection.

• Community issues, including sewerage charges, billing,financing and public awareness.

Accreditation and TrainingThis unit develops training facilities to the waste

water/sewerage industry. It creates appropriate guidelinesto develop and prepare a comprehensive technical trainingprogramme. The Training programmes will providea broad-based, global understanding of seweragesystem management, as well as operations andmaintenance. The scope for training includes developingTechnical Training Modules, grading systems for technicalpersonnel, establishing TechnicalSkill Training Center, providing an effective voice on thesyllabus for the sewerage industry and having the capacityto implement agreed code of practice and standards.

Support ServicesBesides the above, several support services are also

available for smooth operation, including: -• Billing, collection, information technology, customer

and support services.• communications , public awareness, legal, financial

and administrative support

THE FUTURE OF THE NATIONAL SEWERAGEINFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

IWK will formulate the Sewerage Development Plan (SDP)which is the development strategy to improve the sewerageinfrastructure in the country. The SDP is formulated in orderto recommend efficient disbursement of capital funds inaccordance to the sewerage needs. This plan consists ofdefinition of each target to be fulfilled by the end of theplanned time starting from 2004 up to 2035. The target atthe end of the planned period, namely in 2035, is to serve80% of the population with connected services.

A total number of 292 urban areas, in 81 districts, wereselected for incorporation in the proposed SDP. The SDPaddresses an urban population and population equivalentbase of 13,421,824 and 16,543,431 at year 2002 and27,541,419 and 38,398,482 at year 2035 respectively. Thestrategy is to meet operational objectives in the short term,environmental improvement and improved serviceefficiencies and social needs in the long term. BEM


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