THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS MALAYSIA LEMBAGA JURUTERA MALAYSIA

WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN MALAYSIA

THE WAY FORWARD
ACHIEVING WORLD CLASS WATER UTILITY
COMPANY STANDARD
INTEGRATED RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT
ACCREDITED CHECKERS REGISTRATION
GUIDELINES FOR AN ENGINEER TAKING OVER
THE WORK OF ANOTHER

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MANAGING FLOOD PROBLEMS IN MALAYSIA

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VOL.22 JUNE-AUGUST 2004 RM10.00

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KDN PP11720/9/2003 ISSN 0128-4347

M A L AY S I A

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Volume 22 June-August 2004

contents

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M A L AY S I A

Presidents Message
Editors Note

Announcement
BEM News

BEM Dinner

Cover Feature
8

Water Resources Management In Malaysia

The Way Forward
12 Achieving World Class Water Utility
Company Standard
21 Integrated River Basin Management

Update
24 Accredited Checkers Registration
25 UNEP Freshwater Unit

Professional Practice
26 Guidelines For An Engineer Taking Over The Work
Of Another

Engineering & Law

29 Work Programme A Contractual Perspective
(Part 2)

42
Management
34 The Managerial Function Of Control For
Consulting Engineers

Feature
38 Managing Flood Problems In Malaysia

50

44 What Is Water Policy And What Is Its Purpose

48 Getting To Know The National Sewerage
Concessionaire (Series I)

56

Engineering Nostalgia
56 That which was... Jalan Bukit Bintang &
Bukit Aman

BULETIN INGENIEUR 1

Presidents Message

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

Members of the Board of Engineers Malaysia

(BEM) 2003/2004
President
YBhg. Tan Sri Dato Ir. Hj Zaini Omar
Registrar
Ir. Ashari bin Mohd Yakub
Secretary
Ir. Dr. Judin bin Abdul Karim
Members of BEM
YBhg. Tan Sri Dato Ir. Md Radzi bin Mansor
YBhg. Datuk Ir. Santhakumar Sivasubramaniam
YBhg. Dato Ir. Dr. Hj. Abdul Rashid bin Maidin
YBhg. Datu Ir. Hubert Thian Chong Hui
YBhg. Dato Ir. Ashok Kumar Sharma
YBhg. Datuk Ir. Md Sidek bin Ahmad
YBhg. Datuk Ir. Hj. Keizrul Abdullah
YBhg. Dato Ir. Kok Soo Chon
Ir. Ho Jin Wah
Ir. Yim Hon Wa
Ir. Prof. Ow Chee Sheng
Ir. Mohd Aman bin Hj Idris
Ir. Hj. Abu Bakar bin Che Man
Ir. Prof. Abang Abdullah bin Abang Ali
Tuan Hj. Basar bin Juraimi
Ar. Paul Lai Chu

There are a host of activities relating to water

within the country. Firstly, 2003 was declared the
International Year of Freshwater by the UN
General Assembly. Recently the 1st Malaysia Water
Week was hosted in June 2004 with seminars and
exhibitions. This will be followed by another
seminar on Water and Waste Water Technologies
to be held in August 2004.
The prominence given to water can be
understandable given the current concerns, globally and nationally.
Water, as the most essential of life-sustaining elements, provides for
mankind not only drinking water and sanitation, but also water for
transport, food, fish, recreation, energy, irrigation and industrial
processes and so on.
The recent restructuring of Government Ministries to place waterrelated departments under one Ministry, namely water supply,
sewerage, drainage and river signifies the focus of the nation towards
integration of water resources management . With this, the nation
expects greater expertise and innovation from the engineering
fraternity to support the Malaysian Water Vision 2025 to conserve
and manage its water resources to ensure adequate and safe water
for all, including the environment.

Editorial Board
Advisor
YBhg. Tan Sri Dato Ir. Hj Zaini Omar
Chairman
YBhg Datuk Ir. Shanthakumar Sivasubramaniam
Editor
Ir. Fong Tian Yong
Members
YBhg. Dato Ir. Ashok Kumar Sharma
Ir. Prof. Madya Dr. Eric Goh Kok Hoe
Ir. Prof. Ishak bin Abdul Rahman
Ir. Prof. Dr. Ruslan Hassan
Ir. Prof. Dr. K. S. Kannan
Ir. Nitchiananthan Balasubramaniam
Ir. Mustaza bin Hj. Salim
Ir. Md Amir bin Kasim
Ir. Dr Lee Say Chong
Ir. Chan Boon Teik
Ir. Choo Kok Beng
Publication Officer
Pn. Nik Kamaliah bt. Nik Abdul Rahman
Assistant Publication Officer
Pn. Che Asiah bt. Mohamad Ali
Design and Production
Inforeach Communications Sdn Bhd
Buletin Ingenieur is published by the Board of
Engineers Malaysia (Lembaga Jurutera Malaysia)
and is distributed free of charge to registered
Professional Engineers.
The statements and opinions expressed in this
publication are those of the writers.
BEM invites all registered engineers to contribute
articles or send their views and comments to the
following address:
Publication Committee
Lembaga Jurutera Malaysia,
Tingkat 17, Ibu Pejabat JKR
Kompleks Kerja Raya Malaysia,
Jalan Sultan Salahuddin
50580 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2698 0590 Fax: 03-2692 5017
E-mail: bem1@jkr.gov.my publication@bem.org.my
Web site: http://www.bem.org.my
Advertising/Subscriptions
Subscription Form is on page 54
Advertisement Form is on page 55

TAN SRI DATO Ir. HJ. ZAINI BIN OMAR

President
BOARD OF ENGINEERS MALAYSIA

Editors Note
The article on OSC which appeared in the December
2003 issue of Buletin Ingenieur has proven effective
in informing Professional Engineers of the new
submitting procedure for Building Plan and CFO
through the One Stop Centre. From inquiries received
and comments gathered on the ground, views and
suggestions sent to the Buletin Ingenieur will be of great help as we
understand that the relevant authority is planning to review and
improve the guidelines on OSC.
On matters relating to publication, the publication committee
has lately re-examined its role and decided to expand is functions to
other areas such as publication of information booklets, BEM
guidelines and compilation of published articles. Suggestions and
views on this matter are invited.

Ir. Fong Tian Yong

Editor

BULETIN INGENIEUR 2

Announcement

ACCREDITED CHECKERS SEMINAR/ROADSHOWS

The Board of Engineers Malaysia is introducing an Accredited Checker Registration in geotechnical
and/or structural engineering works in line with the Section 10B of the Registration of Accredited
Checker, 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 scheduled
as 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

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

Grand Continental Hotel, Kuala Terengganu

To be advised

Tentative

Pan Pacific Hotel Kuala Lumpur

To be advised

Tentative

Johor

Terengganu
Kuala Lumpur

Event Calendar

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

Conference on
Automation and
Computer Networks
(CACN) 2004
Date:
July 22-23, 2004
Venue:
Putra World Trade Centre,
Kuala Lumpur
Organiser:
Association of Consulting
Engineers Malaysia (ACEM) &
Electrical and Electronics
Association of Malaysia (TEEAM)

Publication

Calendar

The following list is the

Publication Calendar for
the year 2004. While we
normally seek contributions
from experts for each
special theme, we are also
pleased to accept articles
relevant to themes listed.
Please contact the Editor or
the Publication Officer in
advance if you would like
to make such contributions
or to discuss details and
deadlines.

September 2004: ENVIRONMENT

December 2004: FACILITY MANAGEMENT
March 2005: CONSTRUCTION LIABILITY

BULETIN INGENIEUR 4

REGISTRATION FORM

Accredited Checkers
 Day 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 for
outstation cheque.
Name: ..........................................................................................................................................................................................
Professional Engineer Registration No.: ............................................................................................................................
Designation

: ......................................................................................................................................................................

Company

: ......................................................................................................................................................................

Address

: ......................................................................................................................................................................

Telephone

: ......................................................................................................................................................................

Facsimile

: ......................................................................................................................................................................

E-mail

: ......................................................................................................................................................................

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

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

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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.

M A L AY S I A

Accredited Checkers Secretariat

Board of Engineers Malaysia
Tingkat 17, Ibu Pejabat JKR
Kompleks Kerja Raya Malaysia
Jalan Sultan Salahuddin
50580 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2698 0590 / 03-2696 7095 Fax: 03-2692 5017
E-mail: bem1@jkr.gov.my ; application@bem.org.my ; bem1@streamyx.com
Website: www.bem.org.my

I/we would like to register for the above seminar.

Update

Accredited
Checkers Registration
Following the collapse of Block 1, Highland Tower apartments
on December 11, 1993, the Cabinet decided to implement
several corrective and preventive actions.
Malaysian authorities have been instructed to look into
various legislations that regulate the building industry in the
country. After careful study of the various Acts, the Ministry
of Housing and Local Government found that the Street,
Drainage and Building Act 1974 needs to be amended to
tighten control of building development especially
development on hill slopes.
The Ministry has decided to revise the Street, Drainage
and Building Act 1974 and Uniform Building By-laws 1984 to
address the need for Accredited Checkers to enhance the safety
aspect of geotechnical and structural engineering works at
the design and/or construction stage of a project.
The Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) has taken the
initiative to amend the Registration of Engineers Act 1967 to
introduce a registration of Accredited Checkers on geotechnical
and structural engineering works. This in line with the request
from the Ministry of Housing and Local Government to
maintain a list of Accredited Checkers for the purpose of
checking structural and geotechnical engineering works to
ensure safety of buildings.
What Is Accredited Checker?
An Accredited Checker means a person registered under
Section 10B, Registration of Engineers (Amendment) Act 2002
[Act A1158].
The Accredited Checker who shall be an independent
checker*, is required to check the safety aspect of geotechnical
and structural engineering works at the design and/or
construction stage of a project done by another engineer and
as and when called for by local authorities.
* shall preserve his independence and has no professional or financial
interest in the said building checked by him/her.

Why Accredited Checker?

One of the measures to prevent structural failures on hill
sites is to require the geotechnical and structural designs for
buildings to be checked by an Accredited Checker.
The Accredited Checker could be appointed at the
beginning of the project to enable the Accredited Checker to
work alongside the design engineer. An Accredited Checker
could be appointed at any stage as ordered by a local authority
for 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;

ii)

have at least 10 years relevant practical experience in

the 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;
and
3) Slope Engineering and Embankments
b) Structural
1) Buildings greater than five storeys;
2) Buildings of unconventional construction with span
greater than 10 metres; and
3) 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 deserving
of such registration, provided
a) during the period seven years immediately preceding
the date of his/her application, has been engaged in
geotechnical or structural design after registration as
Professional Engineer; and
b) for a continuous period of one year immediately
preceding the date of his/her application, has had such
practical experience in the relevant field gained in
Malaysia; and
v) have attended and passed the interview conducted by
the Accredited Checkers Committee.
How To Apply?
All applications shall
i. be made in Form B3; (obtainable from BEMs 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 level
of responsibilities involved in the project(s);
iii. be accompanied by three copies of actual design or review
report done by the applicant; and
iv. be accompanied by a processing fee of RM50 and a
registration fee of RM300 in money order/bank draft/cheque
made payable to the Board of Engineers Malaysia BEM
All inquiries pertaining to the Registration of Accredited
Checkers shall be submitted to:
Registration Department
Board of Engineers Malaysia
Tingkat 17, Ibu Pejabat JKR
Kompleks Kerja Raya Malaysia
Jalan Sultan Salahuddin, 50580 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 603-2696 7095/96/97/98 Fax: 603-2692 5017
e-mail: bem1@jkr.gov.my ; application@bem.org.my
website: www.bem.org.my

B U L E T I N I N G E N I E U R 24

Update

UNEP Freshwater Unit

Submitted by Lim Juay Jin

FUNCTIONS

Collaborative Efforts To Identify, Assess And

Promote Appropriate Technologies

Promote integrated management and use of

freshwaters,
Enhance environmental quality and
Promote environmentally-sustainable socioeconomic development.

for freshwater augmentation and drinking water

protection on a regional basis are being carried out in
association with UNEPs International Environment
Technology Centre (IETC) and other United Nations
agencies.

In fulfilling this Mission, the Freshwater Unit is continuing

its fundamental work in promoting the integrated
management and use of freshwater resources in
international drainage basins and in facilitating
development of training materials and courses that
contribute to this Mission. UNEP has been designated by
the UN Secretary General as the UN agency with
responsibility for global mandates for water. Within this
mandate, the Mission of the Freshwater Unit is to provide
tools and advice.

The Freshwater Unit also undertaking collaborative

efforts with UNEPs Oceans and Coasteal Areas Unit to
integrated planning activities in freshwater drainage
basins and the coastal areas into which they drain. Initial
efforts focus on the East Asian Regional Seas Programme
activity area and are of particular significance to
governments in the context of the assessment and
control of land-based sources of aquatic pollution
provisions of the United Nations Convention of the Law
of Sea.

OPERATION
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
The Freshwater Unit facilitates the environmentallysustainable 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 practical

economic instrumentals,
Eutrophication and non point source pollution control
techniques for management of freshwater resources,
and
The reduction of pollution impacts of mining
activities.

These workshops and related training materials and texts

provide countries with a range of techniques to address
the water-specific issues of sustainable development.

Completing Comprehensive Scientific Reviews Of

The Major Geochemical Cycles,

including assessment of their impacts on freshwater

resources, to enhance environmental quality worldwide.

The development of innovative techniques and

approaches through the publication of a range of public
information and awareness-building materials on global,
regional and sub-regional freshwater resource problems
and solutions, including brochures and reports for policy
makers, provides the means by which the Freshwater
Unit is contributing to sustainable socio-economic
development. In this regard, the Freshwater Unit, in
collaboration with UNEPs GEMS/ Water Programme
Activity Centre, is involved in several fundamental
components of a multi-agency effort, including synthesis
of experiences on the river basin scale, in relation to
integrated management of freshwater resources. These
activities complement and support national efforts to
implement Agenda 21.
Project management using the environmentally-sound
management of inland waters (EMINWA) planning
framework.
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

B U L E T I N I N G E N I E U R 25

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BEM Dinner

M A L AY S I A

dinner was organized on

May 5, 2004 in conjunction
with the gazetting of the
Registration
of
Engineers
(Amendment) Act 2002, and in
appreciation of engineers who have
been active in helping the Board of
Engineers Malaysia.
The Guest of Honour for the night
was YB Dato Seri S. Samy Vellu,
Minister of Works, Malaysia. In his
speech, read by Deputy Minister of
Works, YB Dato Ir. Mohd. Zin
Mohamed, the Minister encouraged
young engineering graduates to
register with the BEM before they start
practising. To Professional Engineers,
YB Dato Seri Samy Vellu stressed that
they must not certify works that they
have not supervised
BEM President, Tan Sri Dato Ir.
Zaini Omar highlighted some of the
amendments of the Registration of
Engineers Act and reminded all
registered engineers that:
only full-fledged engineers
registered under the Act as
Professional Engineers shall be
entitled:- to submit plans, engineering
surveys, drawings, schemes,
proposals, reports, design or
studies to any person or
authority in Malaysia
- to practice, carry on business
or take up employment which
requires them to carry out or
perform
professional
engineering services
- to be entitled to describe
themselves or hold themselves
out under any name, style or
title:
bearing
the
words
Professional Engineer or
the equivalent in any other
language
using the abbreviation Ir.
and P.Eng. before and
after his name

YB Dato Ir. Mohd Zin Mohamed,

delivering the Minister of Works address
be entitled to recover in any
court any fee, charge,
remuneration for any
professional engineering
services rendered
to uphold the dignity, high
standing and reputation of the
profession
to have full regard for public
safety with complete fidelity to
client

BEM President YBhg Tan Sri Dato Ir. Zaini

delivering his speech

not to maliciously injure the

professional reputation, prospect or
business of another engineer, and
not to canvass or solicit
professional employment

Among the dinner programmes

was a Certificate Presentation to the
Examiners
for
Professional
Assessment Examination (PAE) and
Panel Evaluators for Engineering
Accreditation Council (EAC).

YB Dato Ir. Mohd Zin presenting a special gift to YBhg Dato Ir. Ng Chong Yuen,
Immediate Past President of BEM (2002-2003).
BULETIN INGENIEUR 6

BEM news
A group photo of examiners for Professional Assessment Examination (PAE) and Panel Evaluators for Engineering Accreditation
Council (EAC)
(L to R) Ir. Izlan Robert Abdullah, Ir. Prof. Dr. KS Kanan, Ir. Prof. Madya Dr. Mohammad Nor Berhan, Ir. Prof. Dr. Zainal Abidin
Ahmad, 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 Zin

Mohamed sharing a joke
with the BEM President

BEM

BULETIN INGENIEUR 7

cover feature

Water Resources Management In

Malaysia The Way Forward
By YM Raja Dato Zaharaton Raja Zainal Abidin, Director General, Economic Planning Unit

ater
resources
development has
been a catalyst for
socioeconomic
development of the country. However,
the water situation for some parts of
the country has changed from one of
relative abundance to one of scarcity.
The growth in population and
expansion
in
urbanisation,
industrialisation and irrigated
agriculture are imposing growing
demands and pressure on water
resources, besides contributing to
rising water pollution. Any new
development of water resources incurs
rising costs, besides having to face
rigorous scrutinisation from
environmentalists
and
conservationists. The fact that the
volume of water available is finite and
the demand for water is increasing
indicates that the supply approach in
water management is unsustainable.
WORLD SCENARIO
Water is a global issue. The World
Water Vision Report, 2000
acknowledged that there is a global
water crisis. The crisis is not about
having too little water to satisfy our
needs. It is a crisis of managing water
so badly that billions of people -and
the environment- suffer badly.
Lack of water services is one of
the most important physical signs of
extreme poverty. As estimated in the
Global Water Supply and Sanitation
Assessment 2000 Report by World
Health Organisation (WHO) and
United Nations Childrens Fund
(UNICEF), globally, in the year 2000,
1.1 billion people had no access to
improved water supply and 2.4 billion
were without access to improved
sanitation. Two thirds of people
without access to improved water
supply and approximately 80% of
those without access to improved

sanitation in the world live in Asia.

An estimated 670 million people in
Asia lack access to improved water
supply, while an estimated 1.9 billion
lack adequate sanitation, representing
18% and 52% of the regions
population, respectively.
According to WHO, a child dies
every 15 seconds, on a worldwide
basis, from diarrhoea, caused largely
by poor sanitation and water supply.
Diarrhoeal diseases have killed more
children in the last 10 years than all
people lost to armed conflicts since
World War II. Water, sanitation and
hygiene interventions have been
shown to reduce sickness from
diarrhoea by between 25% and 33%.
Furthermore, as a determinant of
quality of life, water is as decisive as
the very air we breathe.
In the Millennium Declaration,
2000, 191 heads of States and
Governments pledged to reduce by
half the proportion of people without
access to safe drinking water by 2015.
The Johannesburg Summit of
September 2002 the World Summit
on Sustainable Development
brought together tens of thousands
of participants, including heads of
States and Governments, to focus the
worlds attention and direct action
towards meeting difficult challenges,
including improving peoples lives
and conserving natural resources. The
Johannesburg Summit Declaration
agreed that the Millennium
Declarations water supply goal
should be extended to include
sanitation as well. Agreement was
also reached in developing integrated
water resources management and
water efficiency plans by 2005.
The world would face a bleak
future if we continue to adopt
business as usual. The potential
problems include deforestation, rise
in sea level, decreasing crop yields,
water conflicts, increased severity/
BULETIN INGENIEUR

frequency of tropical storms,

widespread outbreak of diseases and
declining fish population.
MALAYSIAN SCENARIO
Under the Constitution, matters
pertaining to natural resources such
as land, mines, forest and water
supply fall under the jurisdiction of
the states. Water supply becomes a
Federal matter only if a dispute arises
in the case of a river basin, which
crosses state boundary. State
Governments are responsible for the
development, operation and
maintenance of water supplies. Since
water is important for socio-economic
development of the nation, the
Federal Government provides soft
loans to State Governments for public
water supply infrastructure and grant
for rural water supply development.
At the Federal level, the National
Water Resources Council (NWRC) was
set up in 1998 to pursue a more
effective water management,
including the implementation of
inter-state water transfers. To ensure
sustainable water resources and
efficient water supply services, the
Federal Government is moving
towards greater involvement in the
management of water resources and
water supply services, and the
implementation of integrated water
resources management.
The national water supply
coverage in 2003 is 93%, that is 97%
and 86% for urban and rural areas
respectively. The estimated population
in 2003 is 24.5 million with urbanrural proportion of 60:40.
Sewerage services fall under the
Joint List of the Federal Constitution.
The Federal Government provides
grant for sewerage infrastructure. The
provision of sewerage services was
privatised to Indah Water Konsortium
(IWK) in 1993. There are 144 local

reservoir area of 24 square kilometres.

Water from Kelau Dam in Pahang will
be released to Semantan River via
Kelau River. The Semantan Intake and
Pumping Station will then transfer the
water via dual pipelines to the tunnel
inlet. The length of each pipe is 11.8
km with a diameter of 3 m. The tunnel
transfers the water across the Main
Range to Langat 2 Water Treatment
Plant (WTP) in Selangor. The length
of the tunnel is 44.6 km and its
diameter is 5.2 m. During the
construction of the tunnel, four adits
will be constructed (that is, two in
Pahang and two in Selangor) for the
removal of spoil materials. Langat 2
WTP will be constructed in three
phases according to the planned
volume of water to be transferred
from Pahang to Selangor; First Phase
1,000 mld; Second Phase 500 mld;
and Third Phase 760 mld.

WATER SUPPLY SECTOR

The increased demand for
clean water has led to
competition in water use among
the various water user sectors
and the continued economic
growth will magnify this even
more acutely. The practicable
limit of surface water resources
development has been reached
in regions of high demand, and
it has become necessary to consider
inter-basin and inter-state water
transfers.
The current approaches towards
water supply in cities are supplydriven when theres a shortage,
new sources are developed. This
business as usual approach is no
longer sustainable because of the
ever-increasing water demand. Water
demand management that focuses on
conservation measures to make better
use of limited supplies would be an
appropriate approach.
Inter-State Raw Water Transfer
The Government is planning to
implement a major inter-state raw
water transfer project, that is, from
Pahang to Selangor. The project will
transfer 2,260 million litres of water
per day (mld). Water will be captured
by Kelau Dam, which is an earth dam
with a height of 30 metres and

maximise the usage of water, also

conserves water and thus limits the need
for new supplies. In 1999, the
Government produced a guideline
entitled Guidelines for Installing A
Rainwater Collection and Utilisation
System, which was circulated to
developers and relevant agencies. The
guideline documents some of the ways
in which rainwater can be collected
from roofs of buildings and the practical
utilisation of rainwater. More than 50%
of the domestic water use does not need
treated water quality. In June 2002, the
Government imposed a condition for
the installation of 6-litre toilet flushing
systems in new buildings.
The programme of reducing nonrevenue water (NRW) and rehabilitation
of water treatment plants and
distribution pipes is an on-going
programme in every five-year
development plan. In the Eighth
Malaysia Plan (2001-2005),
nearly RM1 billion is allocated for
the programme of NRW
reduction and rehabilitation of
water supply systems. The
campaigns on water conservation
awareness by the water supply
sectors and water resources
agencies are undertaken on a
continuous basis.
SEWERAGE SECTOR

Major projects are carried out

through a participatory approach in
order to incorporate the views of the
stakeholders in the decision-making
process. For example, in the case of
Pahang-Selangor Inter-State Raw Water
Transfer Project, besides undertaking a
Detailed Environmental Impact
Assessment (DEIA) of the project, the
project-affected people, together with
the NGOs that have shown interest in
the project, were involved in the
planning process. This participatory
approach will ensure that the projectaffected people will benefit from the
implementation of the project and
minimal disturbance is created to the
environment.
Water Demand
Management Initiatives
Business as usual in the water
supply sector is unsustainable. Water
demand management that seeks to
BULETIN INGENIEUR

Sewage is one of the major

pollutants of our water bodies. A
reliable and efficient sewerage system
is undoubtedly a vital contributing
factor towards the improvement in
environmental health of the nation.
The municipal sewerage services are
provided by the concessionaire and
local authorities, whilst the
Department of Sewerage Services is
entrusted with the responsibilities of
overseeing and regulating sewerage
development in the country.
The Ministry of Health, through
its Engineering Division, implements
the rural sanitation programme. The
most effective and cheap method for
disposal of excreta in rural areas is
by pour-flush latrines. The
construction of sanitary latrines
provides the means to initiate the
effort to educate the rural population
on the use of a more comfortable and
hygienic method for the disposal of
excreta.

cover feature

authorities in the country and IWK has

taken over the management and
provision of sewerage services in 84
local authorities. The IWK Concession
Agreement does not cover the states
of Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak.
The Engineering Division of the
Ministry of Health provides sewerage
facilities to rural communities. A
Sanitation Commission will be
established to formulate economic and
safety regulations to safeguard public
interest and promote the development
of sewerage and solid waste
management.
In 2002, the provision of sewerage
services that falls under the jurisdiction
of the concessionaire covers a
population of 16 million whilst the
sewerage facilities provided by the
Ministry of Health cover a rural
population of 7.6 million. The
estimated population in 2002 is 24.1
million.

cover feature

Cities are well-known for being

polluters of the aquatic environment
with sewage and municipal
wastewater, industrial effluents and
polluted urban runoffs. The
Government has undertaken a
National Sewerage Project, which is
made up of 13 projects that cover the
Klang Valley and the major urban
centres in the west coast of Peninsular
Malaysia Kangar, Alor Setar,
Butterworth, Bukit Mertajam,
Seremban, Port Dickson and Melaka.
The project components are made up
of 10 sewerage treatment plants
(STPs), three centralised sludge
treatment facilities (CSTF) and a
network with a total length of 117
kilometres. The National Sewerage
Project will be extended into the next
plan period, Ninth Malaysia Plan,
2006-2010.

implementing agencies in IWRM and

developing best management
practices in IWRM within the
Malaysian context.
The programmes on river
rehabilitation are carried out on
selected rivers with the objectives of
pollution abatement and water
quality improvement. The Klang
River Clean Up Programme involves
construction, maintenance and
desilting activities, education and
beautification
programmes,
relocation of squatters, rehabilitation
of aquatic life, treatment of animal
waste and water pollution control.
Integrated action plans were
formulated towards pollution
abatement and water quality
improvement in the following rivers:
Langat, Segget, Tebrau and Skudai.
THE WAY FORWARD

INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES

MANAGEMENT (IWRM)
The management of water
resources should be based on sound
policies and strengthened institutional
arrangements. The first step towards
IWRM in Malaysia was realised with
the formation of Selangor Water
Management Authority in 1999. This
authority is commonly known as
LUAS (Lembaga Urus Air Selangor)
and was formed with the aim of
adopting and implementing IWRM at
the river basin level within the state
of Selangor.
An integrated river basin
management project is being
undertaken in two river basins,
namely Selangor River and Kedah
River, in order to establish a
framework
for
integrated
management of river basins and their
water resources. A Sarawak IWRM
Master Plan Study will also be
implemented during the remaining
Eighth Malaysia Plan Period (20012005), with the objective of
formulating a master plan for the
integrated development and
management of Sarawaks water
resources.
A national study for the effective
implementation of IWRM in Malaysia
is being planned with the aims of
creating awareness and generating
advocacy in IWRM nationwide,
developing capacity building of

There is a political will to improve

the Malaysian water sector. This is
manifested in the formation of the
new Cabinet after the recent 11th
General Elections. The national water
sector is now being addressed with
respect to improving services and
conserving resources through the
formation of the Ministry of Energy,
Water and Communications, and the
Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment respectively. The
function of water supply services in
the Ministry of Works and the
Department of Sewerage Services in
the Ministry of Housing and Local
Government will be transferred to the
Ministry of Energy, Water and
Communications. The Department of
Irrigation and Drainage (DID) in the
Ministry of Agriculture will be
transferred to the Ministry of Natural
Resources and Environment. DID is
the custodian of the National
Hydrological Network and is
responsible for flood forecasting and
the management of rivers, floods,
urban drainage/stormwater runoff
and coastal zones. In other words,
DID is responsible for surface water
resources. The Department of Mineral
and Geosciences that is responsible
for groundwater resources is already
in the Ministry of Natural Resources
and Environment.
An individual problem in the
national water sector, such as NRW,
BULETIN INGENIEUR

10

cannot be solved in isolation. It can

only be effectively addressed after
the core problems have been
resolved. These problems include
poor governance, low tariffs and lack
of funds. Measures to resolve the
problems may include transparent
policies, independent regulatory
bodies, a paradigm shift in tariffs,
the involvement of civil society and
the involvement of the Federal
Government in water services and
management of water resources.
We must rethink water
management. Water is everybodys
responsibility and we are part of the
solution. We no longer live in the
era in which we could have indefinite
expansion of water services and
supplies. We have to focus on how
we use water. Thats where new water
will be found. The water authorities,
purveyors and consumers must play
their role in water resources and
supply conservation from capture to
consumption and to wastewater
discharge.
The effective implementation of
IWRM will contribute to the
realisation of a sustainable national
water sector. Reforms and initiatives
are needed towards providing
adequate as well as an enabling
environment for the effective and
efficient implementation of IWRM.
IWRM formulates and implements a
course of action involving the
management of water and related
resources to achieve optimum
allocation of water resources within
a catchment or river basin. The scope
of IWRM is wide and it may be
addressed in the following ways;
integration of different components
of water; integration of water with
related land and environmental
resources; and integration of water
with social and economic
development.
At the international level, there
is a need for sustained and adequate
financing for the development of
water supply and sewerage
infrastructure in developing
countries. This is crucial because the
availability of basic water supply and
sewerage infrastructure is a
prerequisite
to
economic
development, poverty eradication
and improvement of the quality of
life of the people. BEM

cover feature

Managing Water Supply In Selangor And Kuala Lumpur

Achieving World-Class Water

Utility Company Standard
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 to
Jabatan Bekalan Air Selangor, taking over its functions and duties to manage the distribution of
potable water to five million consumers including industries and commercial buildings in Selangor
and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. Although the production of treated water
and water treatment have achieved world-class standards, there is still much to be done in the
managing and distribution of the treated water to the consumers. This paper highlights several
problems related to the management of water supply in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, and outlines
some strategies to overcome these problems in phases so that water supply managed by PUAS Bhd
will be of world-class standard in all respects.

ater supply in
Selangor and Kuala
Lumpur is managed
by
the
newly
corporatised Selangor Water
Management Company (PUAS Bhd),
a successor company to Jabatan
Bekalan Air Selangor. PUAS Bhd
presently manages a supply of 3,500
million litres of water per day to about
1.3 million domestic and industrial
consumers (accounts) in Selangor and
the Federal Territories of Kuala
Lumpur and Putrajaya.
Since the 1990s, the production
facilities have all been privatised,
including the development of new
source works such as the Selangor
River Water Supply Scheme Phases 2
and 3 on a build-operate-transfer
basis. The Water Supply Department
then, now a wholly State-owned
corporatised company, buys the
treated water in bulk from the
concession companies, distributes the
water to its consumers through a
network of some 13,500 km of
pipelines and does the billing and
collection as well. Although it has
achieved world-class standard in
water treatment construction of

modern water treatment plants

equipped with up-to-date water
treatment facilities and water quality
monitoring systems, there is still
much to be done in the managing
and distribution of the treated water
to the consumers. In recent years, a
lot of problems have arisen in the
distribution of water to the
consumers. The major problems
surfaced in 1998 when the Klang
Valley was hit by a water crisis due
to severe drought and suffered from
water shortage for a period of six
months.
This paper highlights
several problems related to the
management of water supply in
Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, and
outlines some strategies to overcome
these problems in phases so that
water supply managed by PUAS Bhd
will be of world-class standard in all
respects. By world-class standard,
it means that one does not have any
doubt whatsoever in drinking water
direct from the tap and one could
also enjoy the full reliability of water
supply in terms of both quality and
quantity. A world-class water utility
company must also provide excellent
customer services, show an efficient

B U L E T I N I N G E N I E U R 12

economic performance and have

good corporate governance, all of
these benchmarked against some of
the leading water utility companies
in the world.
CURRENT STATUS OF
WATER SUPPLY
Under the Federal Constitution of
Malaysia, water supply matters are the
responsibility of the States. The State
Governments are responsible for the
development of water resources,
production,
operation
and
maintenance of public water supplies
in their respective states. The States
operate the supplies through either the
State Public Works Departments, State
Water Supply Departments, State
Water Supply Boards or State Water
Supply Corporations, and more
recently private companies. The State
Government of Selangor has been
operating the water supply in
Selangor, including the Federal
Territories of Kuala Lumpur and
Putrajaya, through the State
Waterworks Department, which was
then the Selangor Water Supply
Department (JBAS). Since March 15,

2002, JBAS was corporatised as a

wholly State-owned company in the
name of Selangor Water Management
Company or PUAS Bhd.
PUAS Bhd is responsible for the
supply of potable water to five million
consumers, including industries and
commercial buildings. PUAS Bhd
manages a supply of 3,500 million
litres of water per day and 1.3 million
consumer accounts, including the
billing and collection. The company
also maintains a distribution network
of about 13,500 km. PUAS Bhd is
governed by a Board of Directors
comprising State Government officials
and members of the public. In general,
the water industry in Selangor consists
of three main water concession
companies Puncak Niaga (M) Sdn
Bhd, Syarikat Pengeluar Air Sungai
Selangor Sdn Bhd and Konsortium

ABASS Sdn Bhd responsible for

water production while PUAS Bhd is
responsible for water distribution to

Table 1: Water Supply Dams In Selangor

No.
1
2
3
4
5
6

Dam
Klang Gates Dam
Langat Dam
Semenyih Dam
Batu Dam
Sg. Tinggi Dam
Sg. Selangor Dam

Year Constructed
1959
1979
1986
1986
1997
Under construction

Storage Capacity
28,000 ML
37,480 ML
61,400 ML
36,000 ML
114,500 ML
235,000 ML

Table 2: Water Supply Demand Projections For Selangor And Kuala Lumpur
Year
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008

Demand (Mld)
3,326
3,519
3,723
3,940
4,170
4,413
4,671

BULETIN INGENIEUR

13

Supply (Mld)
3,628
4,028
4,028
4,428
4,428
4,553
4,553

Remarks
125 Mld ~ Rasa - 1
400 Mld ~ SS3 - 1
400 Mld ~ SS3 - 2
125 Mld ~ Rasa - 2
Deficit of 118 Mld

cover feature

the consumers. There is also a

Regulatory Office under the State
Government to oversee and regulate
the water industry in the State. Figure
1 shows the overall structure of the
water industry in the state of Selangor.
Figure 2 shows the respective
responsibilities of the water concession
companies and PUAS Bhd.
Water supply operation in Selangor
and Kuala Lumpur is divided into
seven regions, each managed by a
Senior Manager. The regional senior
managers are responsible for the
efficient and effective operation and
maintenance of the distribution
system, 100% correct billing, 100%
collection, and customer-oriented and
customer-friendly services in their
respective regions. The PUAS Bhd
headquarters is located in Kuala
Lumpur and is responsible for the
overall coordination of the entire
PUAS operations, planning and
development, finance and corporate
affairs including all enforcement and
security measures. The total staff
strength of PUAS Bhd currently is
1,388.
Water resources for Selangor and
Kuala Lumpur are entirely from surface
water sources with the supply drawn
directly from an impounding reservoir
or direct abstraction from rivers
regulated by releases from storage
reservoirs. The present water resources
are adequate to meet the water demand
for Selangor and Kuala Lumpur up to

cover feature

Table 3: Water Treatment Plants In Selangor And Kuala Lumpur

No.

Water Treatment Plant

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Bukit Nanas
Sg. Langat
Sg. Batu
Sg. Semenyih
Sg. Selangor Phase 1
Sg. Selangor Phase 2
Rasa Phase 1

25 other smaller plants

the year 2007 and the quality of water

supplied is in full compliance with
WHO International Standards for
Drinking Water. There are five large
dams in the State operated for water
supply purposes with another dam
under construction. Table 1 shows the
capacities of the various dams in the
State.
Figure 3 shows the location of the
various dams in Selangor.
The demand for water in Selangor
and Kuala Lumpur grows at an
average rate of 6% per year. Table 2
shows the water supply demand
projections and the planning for water
supply until the year 2007.
There are presently six major
water treatment plants and 25 other
smaller water treatment plants in the
State with a total supply capacity of
3,628 Mld, sufficient to meet the
present demand. Table 3 shows the
production capacity of water
treatment plants in Selangor and
Kuala Lumpur.
Figure 4 and Figure 5 show the
locations of the various treatment
plants in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.
Beyond 2007, the State
Government, together with the
Federal Government, is planning to
source water from a neighbouring
state. The neighbouring state of
Pahang has been identified for this
inter-state water transfer project,
which is in an advanced stage of
planning and design. Basically, the
project entails the abstraction of
surface water regulated by storage
reservoirs and transfer of raw water
through a 5.2 m diameter 47-km long

Year
Constructed
1966
1980
1980
1986
1995
2000
2001
Sub-total:
TOTAL:

NON-PROBLEMATIC AREAS

Production
Capacity (Mld)
136
477
114
636
950
950
125
3,388
240
3,628

tunnel. The present planned capacity

of the project is 2,260,000 m3/day.
Figure 6 shows the projected water
demand and treatment works
capacity.

BULETIN INGENIEUR

14

Since the 1990s, the operation

and maintenance/management of
the source works including the
water treatment plants have been
privatised to three major companies,
namely Puncak Niaga (M) Sdn Bhd,
Syarikat Pengeluar Air Sungai
Selangor Sdn Bhd and Konsortium
ABASS Sdn Bhd through long-term
(25-30
years)
concession
agreements.
Some of these
concession agreements also involve
capital works such as the building
of a new dam, water treatment
plants and laying of new trunk main
pipelines based on the buildoperate-transfer (BOT) concept of
privatisation.

cover feature
Ever since the privatisation of
water production facilities, the
quality of treated water supplied to
consumers from all of the privatised
treatment plants is much better than
the WHO International Standards

for Drinking Water. In fact, it can

be said to be of world-class standard
comparable to those of developed
countries. The reason water quality
has reached world-class standard is
the stringent conditions in the

privatisation concession agreements.

Table 4 gives a comparison of the
WHO Standards and the actual quality
of water produced by the six major
privatised treatment plants in respect
of some parameters.
The standard of operation and
maintenance of these privatised
treatment plants has also vastly
improved. In this respect, it is
imperative that the private operators
keep their costs low by cutting down
on wastages, optimising labour as
well as improving efficiency of
operations so as to maintain
profitability. Hence, consumers are
now enjoying an improved level of
service in terms of both reliability and
quality on the production side.
MAJOR PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED
Water is essential to life. The
recent water crisis in 1998 has shown

Figure 6
Table 4: Average Water Quality Produced By The Major Treatment Plants
Parameter

Turbidity
Colour
Ph
Iron
Manganese
Aluminium
Total Coliform
Faecal Coliform

SSF 1

SSF 2

0.67
2.5
7.6
0.02
0.03
0.01
Nil
Nil

0.6
<5
7.45
0.08
0.06
0
Nil
Nil

Major Treatment Plants

SEMENYIH
LANGAT
B.NANAS
1.38
6.49
7.37
0.03
0.05
0
Nil
Nil

1.18
<5
7.39
0.03
0.04
0
Nil
Nil

BULETIN INGENIEUR

0.51
<5
7.43
0.06
0.04
0
Nil
Nil

16

WHO Standard
BATU
0.49
<5
7.36
0.02
0.01
0
Nil
Nil

<5 NTU
<15 TCU
6.5 - 9.0
<0.3 mg/l
<0.1 mg/l
<0.2 mg/l
Absent in 100ml sample

Water quality problems

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

ROOT CAUSE OF THE

IDENTIFIED PROBLEMS
Water Quality Problems
As mentioned earlier, the water
quality of treated water produced is
in fact in accordance with or better
than WHO International Standards for
Drinking Water. However, this water
has to pass through various portions
of a distribution system consisting of
a pipe network of some 13,500 km in
length before reaching the consumer
taps. About 40% or 5,200 km long
of these distribution pipelines are still
made of old asbestos cement pipes
which are actually beyond their
service life. Some of the old asbestos
cement pipes have been in place for

as long as 40 or more years, and have distribution network is also expanding

deteriorated so much that they are at a fast pace with new connections
easily broken, causing frequent water added on to the existing distribution
disruptions. Each time a burst occurs, system. Inadequate or no redesign of
the water supply has to be interrupted the changing distribution system due
for repair works and thereafter to new connections invariably causes
resumed after the repair works are serious problems in the water supply
completed. It is this fluctuation of distribution. For example, areas that
the flow in the pipelines that causes have been enjoying good and adequate
the silt or sediments or even rust water supply in the past are now seen
deposited in the pipes over the years to be experiencing inadequate water
to go to the consumer taps, causing supply in terms of low pressures and
the water supply to appear dirty. This sometimes non-continuous supply.
is made worse by the lack of
maintenance of the distribution High Non-Revenue Water Losses
system in terms of scouring or
Non-revenue water (NRW) is the
flushing of the pipelines and service
reservoirs on a regular basis. The difference between metered quantity
same problem is also caused by of water produced at the treatment
frequent reversal of flows in the plants and the metered quantity of
pipelines due to too much water actually billed to the
interconnection of different supply consumers.
systems.
For the year 2002, the NRW was
The other problem with the
distribution system is the inherent poor calculated as follows:
design which does
not provide for
NRW
= Production - Billed Quantity
sufficient scouring
(JanDec
2002)
Production
facilities and even if
=
44
%
provided, they are of
inadequate size thus
unable to create
NRW is caused by both physical
adequate flow velocities for proper
scouring purposes. In most cases, loss of water in the distribution
scouring of the system mainly depends system and commercial losses. The
on the use of fire hydrants, which are components of NRW can be broadly
rather inadequate and not effective for classified as follows:
this purpose. In some cases, this
Pipe bursts and leaks
20%
situation is further aggravated by
Pilferage of water
12%
having a lot of dead end pipes in the
Meter under-registration
8%
system.
Other losses such as
Most of the consumer premises are
reservoir overflows,
also still using galvanised iron pipes
fire-fighting, scouring
4%
and storage tanks for their internal
Total
44%
plumbing systems. These pipes and
tanks have a limited lifespan of five
The chief components of NRW can
to seven years after which they begin
to corrode, contributing to dirty water be divided into the following:
problem within the premises.
(i)
Unmeasured legitimate use,
which includes:
Uneven Distribution
Selangor and Kuala Lumpur have
always been fast growing in terms of
development and hence, causing the
demand for water to grow at a high
rate of 6% per year. Consequently, the

BULETIN INGENIEUR

17

Legal connection, but

consumption not billed, like
public fire hydrants used for
fire-fighting and general
cleaning

cover feature

the hardships faced by the consumers

and how seriously their daily lives can
be affected by not having a regular
water supply, not to mention the
amount of social and economic
problems created. Although PUAS
Bhd has achieved the objective of
producing good quality and reliable
water supply in sufficient quantities,
it has also got to ensure that the same
quality and reliability of supply is
available at each and every
consumers tap. The consumers
should not have any doubt about
drinking water straight from the tap;
neither should they be concerned
about its reliability.
Recently, there has been a number
of complaints from the consumers
regarding frequent water disruptions,
low pressures and also unsatisfactory
water quality. This is also evident
from the increasing number of
consumers installing expensive home
water filters, not satisfied with the
water quality reaching their premises.
In this respect, five major
problems have been identified, three
of which are related to the distribution
system. These problems are:

cover feature

Table 5: Consumer Complaints

No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Type Of Complaint
Jan - Mar
1,938
13,843
1,048
444
78
2,424
2,124
97
265
262
22,523

Pipe Burst
Pipe Leak
Low Pressure
Dirty Water
Odour
No Water
High Bill
No Water Bill
Meter Lost/Stolen
Pilferage/Illegal Connection
TOTAL:

No. Of Complaints
April
776
5,781
515
160
31
1,086
1,374
34
124
145
10,026

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

Year
Accounts
1992
1993
1994
1995
*1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002

No. Of Consumer

720,986
766,750
820,372
874,754
932,860
961,326
989,792
1,145,233
1,196,459
1,262,961
1,351,682

Total Staff
Strength

No. Of
Consumer
Accounts Per Staff

1,651
1,646
1,546
1,503
1,247
1,212
1,242
1,200
1,163
1,123
1,393

437
466
531
582
748
793
797
954
1,029
1,125
970

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

Scouring/flushing of pipelines
and cleaning of service
reservoirs
Supply using water tankers
during water disruptions
Under-registration of
consumers supply meters
Incorrectly read meters or
incorrect billings
Incomplete billings

(iii)

(ii)

Physical losses, which include:

Bursts and leakage in the

distribution network
Leakage through tapping points
and service connection pipes
Leakage and overflows from
service reservoirs or water
towers
Unreported third party damage
to pipework
New connections to existing
mains including pipe diversions
and realignment

Faulty fittings such as leaking

air valves, scour valves and inline valves
Non-legitimate uses, which
include:
Illegal connections, meter
tampering or by-passing of
meters
Squatters
or
informal
settlements
Unauthorised reconnection of
supply after disconnection due
to non-payment of water bills

Customer Service
Customer Service is a relatively
new area for PUAS Bhd since there
has been no particular focus on
customer services as a Government
department previously, apart from just
attending to customer complaints on
a normal basis. Now as a corporatised

BULETIN INGENIEUR

18

Total
May
766
5,923
473
274
1
1,280
1,362
17
96
215
10,407

3,480
25,547
2,036
878
110
4,790
4,860
148
485
622
42,956

company, PUAS Bhd is committed to

excellence in providing drinking
water that is clean and safe. Hence,
the first agenda is to raise the level
of service to the customers.
Presently, PUAS Bhd receives an
average of 7,500 to 8,000 complaints
per month from the consumers.
Table 5 shows the various types of
complaints received for the past five
months.
Although most of the complaints
are attended to, the number of
complaints is still fairly large, thus
affecting the response time. The
main problem here is the lack of
manpower or rather the existing staff
strength is below the norm for the
present number of consumer
accounts. Table 6 shows the increase
in the number of consumer accounts
compared with the total staff
strength for the past 10 years.
Figure 7 also shows the staff
strength compared with other states.
Figure 8 shows the manpower size
compared with other major cities.
Financial Problems
PUAS Bhd is presently facing a
huge financial deficit in excess of
RM400 million a year. This is mainly
because of the high cost of
purchasing water from the water
producers, and the revenue from the
sale of water is barely sufficient to
pay for the purchase of treated water.
Hence, it is very difficult to meet
other operating, administration and
maintenance expenses, let alone
financing development projects,
asset replacement or system
improvement and development
works.

STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME
PROBLEMS IN PHASES
The problems faced by PUAS Bhd
as outlined above cannot be resolved
overnight. It will need both time and
the necessary funds to solve these
problems. Hence, the proposal is to
solve the problems in phases and
complete the last phase within a
stipulated timeframe of five to 10
years.
Water Quality Problems
The distribution system is the
biggest asset of the Company and
hence, it must be attended to carefully
and methodically. The problem of
dirty water can be addressed in the
following manner:

One reason for this situation is

that the huge cost of financing
source works such as the building of
the new treatment plants, the Sg.

Selangor dam and trunk main pipes

has been built into the purchase cost
of the treated water. The other
reason is that the water tariff charged

BULETIN INGENIEUR

19

Introduce adequate scours in both

the trunk main pipes and
distribution pipes
Systematic cleaning and flushing
of all the service reservoirs and
pipelines on a scheduled basis
All dead end pipes must be looped
Reversal of flows in the pipelines
must be minimised if it cannot be
totally avoided
Studies should be carried out to
ascertain where dirty water is
encountered in order of severity
There must be adequate and proper
water sampling stations in the
distribution system and sampling
should be well timed to ensure
representative results

cover feature

to the consumers is still very low and

does not reflect the true cost of
producing and supplying water. Figure
9 shows Malaysias water rates
compared with other countries. The
third and a very serious reason is the
high non-revenue water losses. This
is made worse by the distribution
system being old and badly in need of
renewal and repair and not having the
necessary funds to carry out such
works. For instance, the replacement
of the old asbestos cement pipes alone
requires funds in excess of RM1 billion.
A further large amount of capital is
required to carry out active leak
detection works and other programmes
in order to reduce the current high
non-revenue water losses.

cover feature

Distribution Problems

(ii)

As mentioned earlier, the

distribution system comprises a large
and complex pipe network some
13,500 km in total length. In order
to address distribution problems
effectively, the first thing to do is to
establish a comprehensive and
computerised mapping of the entire
system. The system must also be
complete with:

Medium/long-term measures
to reduce NRW:

Hydraulic network modelling

Pressure management and
pressure monitoring systems
Flows and reservoir levels
measurement and monitoring
systems
Telemetry/SCADA/GIS systems

Hence, the performance of the

distribution system must be
constantly monitored through a
central control system. The impact of
every new tee connection to a new
development must be hydraulically
checked to ensure that the existing
consumers are not affected.

Non-Revenue Water Losses

This is a very serious problem and

no effort should be spared in reducing
the NRW.
(i)

Immediate action to reduce

NRW:

100% billing through new

billing system called S2B and
ensuring correct billing
through close monitoring of
individual
consumption
patterns
Consumer supply meter change
crash programme
An integrated operation to stop
pilferage of water, including
disconnecting all squatters
supply and giving them proper
metered supplies
Water for fire-fighting or any
other use from fire hydrants to
be charged

Active leakage control

Pressure management
Renewal/replacement of pipes
based on a comprehensive
Asset Management Plan
Consumer meter exchange
programme/meter
management and maintenance
New metering policies and
technologies
Scheduled inspection and
maintenance/repair of all
service reservoirs to prevent
overflows and leakage
including all air valves, scour
valves and in-line valves
For new development,
pressure and leakage tests of
pipelines to be carried out
after tapping for service
connections
Use of proven quality
materials and standards in the
distribution system
Water loss due to third party
damage to pipelines or new
connections including pipe
diversions and realignment to
be charged
Continuous and strict
enforcement against pilferage
of water
Target NRW reduction of 2%
per year to 15% by the year
2015, as well as monitoring of
unit cost of overall NRW
reduction programme

Customer Service
One
of
the
important
characteristics of a successful
organisation is the ability to put
customer satisfaction as utmost
priority. Described as a customerdriven organisation, PUAS Bhd will
emphasise proactive listening to
customers needs.

Establish customer service levels

Establish Customer Service
Department to focus on customer
services and customer relations
BULETIN INGENIEUR

20

Fully computerised complaints

management centre to ensure
each and every complaint is
attended to within a specified
response time, and complaint
management as key driver in
improving efficiency and
service levels
Address manpower problems
effectively to ensure customer
satisfaction
Promote better customer
awareness and customer
education

Financial Problems
The current huge financial
deficit is in essence the basic
problem which must be resolved
before trying to solve the other
problems. Solutions are:

Federal Government assistance

Raise water tariff
Other sources of revenue/
charges/taxes

CONCLUSION
Taking into consideration all the
problems highlighted above and the
current huge financial deficit faced
by PUAS Bhd, something has to be
done very quickly. The consumers
are in fact getting to be very
impatient, judging from the
number and types of complaints
received. Hence, every effort has
got to be made to change the
current situation and to win back
customer confidence. In line with
PUAS Bhds Mission Statement of
using information technology to
gain competitive edge and to be
more cost-effective, the Company
is now moving towards a Total
Operation Management System
(TOMS) which is an integrated suite
of applications that automate the
provisioning and sustaining of the
service delivery network of a water
company. PUAS Bhd is committed
to stay focused in its efforts to
achieve world-class water utility
company standard. BEM

By Datuk Ir. Hj. Keizrul Abdullah, Director-General, Department of Irrigation and Drainage; and Bo Christensen,
Chief Technical Advisor, IRBM Project

he problems are well-known.

Malaysia is rich in water
resources, but the demand
for clean water is increasing
rapidly and shortage occurs during
dry periods. During the monsoon,
floods disrupt the lives of many
people and cause substantial
damages, destruction of property and
loss of lives. Water quality is also a
problem. Though many rivers are still
in good condition, some are severely
polluted with silt, sewage and solid
waste.
The causes of the problems are
complex and cannot be solved
overnight, while the traditional way
of addressing the problems in a
fragmented manner has proven to be
insufficient. In addition, roles,
responsibilities and authority are not
clearly defined. Thus, DID is often
blamed when a flood occurs, whilst
the real causes may be flash floods
due to urban development,
sedimentation due to earth works or
deforestation, or solid waste that clogs
the drains areas which are under
the mandate of other agencies.
Similarly, water pollution problems
can only be effectively addressed
through a concerted effort involving
many agencies and huge investments
in wastewater treatment.
So while the present sectoral
approach has its advantages, it has
become evident that there is a need
for a broader, holistic view. Waterrelated problems can only be
effectively dealt with through a
collaborative effort by the many
stakeholders and with inputs from the
many technical disciplines. It is no
longer enough to look just at the river;
we must now consider the whole

and management of water resources

on a river basin basis.
This policy is not unique. The
World Summit for Sustainable
Development (WSSD), held in
Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002,
called for every nation to institute
holistic management of water
resources and set targets to develop
national integrated water resources
management by 2005. The Third
World Water Forum (3WWF) held in
Kyoto, Japan the following year, also
stressed on the need for an integrated
approach, as have many other
meetings. Hence, this trend towards
integration is global.
basin. That is what Integrated River
Basin Management (IRBM) is all
about.
IRBM is not a technical solution.
Rather, it is an approach to water
resources management that takes into
account all factors linked to land and
water resources, including social and
economic activities. Its broad scope
not only covers water resources, but
also environmental management
aspects such as pollution control,
development
planning
and
biodiversity conservation.
Current Policies
The need for a holistic and
integrated approach is now widely
recognised and is strongly reflected
in Government policies. This is
incorporated into both the Eighth
Malaysia Plan (8MP), (2001-2005) and
the Third Outline Perspective Plan
(OPP3), (2001-2010) which encourage
State Governments to establish water
management bodies to ensure proper
planning, monitoring, enforcement

BULETIN INGENIEUR

21

How?
Like holistic and sustainable,
integration has become the current
fad. But what exactly does it mean?
And above all, how do we implement
it?
River basins are important
ecological units and the river itself
reflects all the environmental changes
that occur in the basin be it changes
in land use or discharges of waste.
However, natural basin borders rarely
coincide with political and
administrative borders, making it
difficult to attend to the ecological
linkages across basins. In addition,
many departments and agencies are
involved, each planning and
managing its particular sector of
water use.
Thus, it is necessary to establish a
mechanism that can merge
coordination and seek cooperation
not only across sectors, but also across
political and administrative borders.
The challenge is how to do it.

cover feature

Water Resources
Management In
Integrated
River
MalaysiaManagement
The Way Forward
Basin

cover feature

Although each country is unique,

the challenges they face in river
basin management generally have
some similarities, and it is
worthwhile to examine the
experiences of other countries to see
if their experiences can be applied
in Malaysia in some form.
One of the quickest ways to
implement IRBM is through the use
of River Basin Master Plans. Such
master plans take into consideration
the needs of the various water sectors
by incorporating and integrating the
various sectoral master plans into an
overall basin plan through a process
of trade-offs aimed at a win-win
approach.

In Australia, the Murray-Darling

catchment
is
beset
by
unsustainable land use and
excessive water extraction in a
very dry agricultural zone, such
that in some years, no water
reaches the sea. The collaboration
among several neighbouring
states seeks to address negative
impacts by utilising economic
instruments, such as marketable
water rights and other
management tools.

In Indonesia, the Brantas River

basin, with an area of 12,000 km2
and a population of 15 million,
is managed on an IRBM basis by
a state-owned company, PTG-1.
PTG-1 has the responsibility to
manage the water resources and
water infrastructure, including
water supply, irrigation and flood
mitigation. It is not directly
responsible for water pollution
control or land use, but advises
and supports other agencies.

In Europe, the European Union

Water Framework Directive is a
very ambitious legal initiative in
water resources management. It
gives clear direction for member
states and requires each to
introduce integrated river basin
management plans, to implement
legal
and
institutional
arrangements and sets a binding
timetable to achieve good status
for all water bodies. The actual
implementation of the directive
varies in format with each
participating country, but the
target is clear.

What Are Other Countries Doing?

Since water is an important issue
in many countries, often there are
long traditions for bodies which can
resolve conflicts between various
users. Some of these organisations are
specialised courts that follow legal
procedures. Others are water or river
authorities. In some countries, formal
or informal user groups play
important roles in water management.
The Tribunal de las Aguas (Water
Court) of Valencia, Spain, which has
been in existence at least since the
10th century, is one of the earliest
examples.
The responsibilities and mode of
operation of the institutions vary from
country to country. The preferred
institutional set-up needs to reflect
the traditions and history of the
country as well as the nature of the
issues to be dealt with. However, most
traditional systems have limited
mandates and they are therefore
rarely able to effectively deal with the
more complex environmental issues
of water resource management.
Many countries have therefore
established new River Basin
Management Institutions or River
Basin Organisations (RBOs), or are in
the process of doing so. RBOs can take
many forms, and some are just
modifications or additions to existing
systems. More radical reforms have
typically only been instituted after a
severe crisis in the water sector.

In Denmark, regional councils are

responsible for regional physical
management, natural resources
management, river management,
environmental monitoring and

BULETIN INGENIEUR

22

environmental regulation of
sewage treatment plants and
major industries. The regional
physical plans are updated once
every fourth years. This planning
mechanism, and the fact that all
major
environmental
management and most natural
resources management is the
responsibility of a single
organisation, greatly facilitate an
integrated approach. The
multitude of specialised agencies
that are found in Malaysia is
practically absent. Environmental
services are generally provided by
the municipalities. The Ministry
of Environment gives guidance
and regulations, and, in case of
appeals, may overrule some
decisions made by the regional
councils or the municipalities.

In France, the country has been

divided into six river basins
where the water resources are
managed in an integrated
manner. For each basin, there is
a committee which has the role
to establish partnerships and
coordinate the actions of public
authorities and developers. The
daily work is carried out by six
water agencies. The river basin
committees also mobilise the
financial resources for water
investments. Master plans and
schemes for water development
and management play an
important role in water
management. In addition, there is
a number of local water
communities which can play an
active role in achieving the
objectives.

In the United States, the Clean

Water Act requires the states to
prepare and maintain a
continuing planning process that
includes
Water
Quality
Management plans. These plans
should have a watershed focus,
but are more limited in scope than
the EU plans.

These models may help to provide

guidance, but ultimately, the
solutions must be found locally.

Planning is a key element of

IRBM. It helps define environmental
issues and considers the interests of
various stakeholders. Planning sets
the stage for integration and is a
prerequisite
for
consistent
implementation of policies, including
the allocation of water resources,
pollution abatement, zoning, granting
of permissions and licences, and
others. Each element of the plan
requires a strategy by the authorities.
Henceforth, decisions can be made in
a systematic and transparent manner
that is able to withstand public
scrutiny.
The aim of the IRBM plan is thus
to provide overall guidance. Its intent
is not to dwell on management
details, but to establish priorities and
balance the various sector interests
in a way that facilitates clear and
specific actions to address the main
issues. It is crucial that an IRBM plan
adequately covers and integrates the
full array of water concerns, such as
resources use and flood mitigation,
wastewater treatment, and catchment
protection and zoning. Planning
requires a long-term vision to seek
appropriate
environmental
investments that fulfill the entire
objectives of IRBM. The IRBM plan
should identify measures to achieve
the planning objectives and specify
concrete short-term and long-term
actions.
Legal And Institutional Framework
Malaysia already has several
examples of integrated watershed,
catchment or river basin planning.
Most initiatives have been in the form
of IRBM plans, each with its own
strengths and weaknesses. Most plans
have been prepared by a single
agency and this gives a bias that is
reflected in the plans.
The challenge is how to improve
the implementation of IRBM. Do we
create new institutions? Do we add
responsibilities to existing agencies?
Can we merely amend legal and
administrative frameworks to handle
the job or are major changes required?
The Sabah Water Resources
Enactment of 1998 was an early and
important step towards integrated

management, as it created the first

legal framework for IRBM in
Malaysia. In Peninsular Malaysia,
Selangor pioneered the new paradigm
with the creation of LUAS in 1999.
The environmental conditions and
economic situation of each state must
be considered before designing a
model that fits into the local legal and
institutional system. Nevertheless,
there are many similarities between
the states and it should be possible to
give general recommendations and
create a model legislation that the
states can adapt and adopt.
Institutional Challenges
It is easy to identify the
challenges, namely to:

Achieve effective and efficient

integration
Maintain expertise, skills and
focus of specialised agencies
Avoid creation of bureaucratic
complications
Develop frameworks with clear
mandates
Streamline
legislation,
administration and procedures
Ensure stakeholder participation

But how are these challenges best

met?
The IRBM Project
To examine these issues, the
Government of Malaysia has initiated
the IRBM Project in cooperation with
the Government of Denmark. The
project is working with two models
viz. in the Selangor River Basin and
the Kedah River Basin, which at first
glance appear to be quite different.
Selangor has established a new
institution, LUAS, with its own
enactment for water resources
management, while Kedah, at least
initially, is using a more informal
approach with an inter-agency
committee chaired by the State
Economic Planning Unit (UPEN).
A closer look reveals that there is,
in fact, a range of common features.
Both models recognise that
cooperation with a range of
specialised agencies and other
stakeholders is critical, no matter how
wide the mandate of the water agency.

BULETIN INGENIEUR

23

cover feature

IRBM Planning

Both models therefore depend on

inter-agency or stakeholder
committees and sub-committees or
working groups to deal with special
issues.
A very common way to deal with
issues that involve different
stakeholders, in Malaysia as well as
in other countries, is to establish a
committee. This can be done easily,
requires no legal changes and can be
an effective coordination mechanism
that brings the key stakeholders
together.
There are many types of
committees. Some have strong
political support and are very active,
and they can be very effective both
as temporary committees established
to solve a particular problem, and as
standing committees that have a more
permanent nature. Other committees
are established to put an inconvenient
issue on hold until the political or
public interest has diminished, and
this kind is naturally not very active.
There is also a more common type,
which initially is active, but as other
issues prop up and take priority on
the busy agenda of the main
stakeholders, the activity declines and
the committee may even become
dormant. This is a natural process in
the life of committees. They all pass
through various phases. For a
committee to remain active, it needs
a dedicated chairman, the active
support of the members and the
backing of a dynamic secretariat.
The IRBM approach is a challenge
for water administration in Malaysia.
The IRBM project acknowledges that
strong relationships between Federal
and State agencies are fundamental
for achieving positive results. This
project is still in its early stage, and it
will continue to explore the right
opportunities and models for
integrated resource management to
overcome past problems and move
forward towards revitalising the
nations rivers. BEM

Part 2
By Ir. Harbans Singh K.S., B.E (Mech) Spore, P.E., C.Eng,
LLB(Hons) London, CLP, DipICArb.

ALTERATION/REVISION TO PROGRAMME
Bearing in mind the desire to maintain flexibility,
the contractor should be afforded the possibility of
amending or revising the programme as and when he
so desires. However, because of the effect of the
contractors approved programme on the contract
administrators obligations i.e. to furnish information,
drawings, details, give necessary approvals, etc. such
flexibility is constrained by the necessity to seek the
necessary approval/consent of the contract
administrator before undertaking any revisions or
alterations to the approved programme. Hence, express
contractual provisions are usually enshrined in the
conditions of contract to the following effect:

No material alteration to the approved work

programme is generally permitted without the
approval of the contract administrator e.g. Clause
7.4 36 IEM.ME 1/94 Form;

The contractor may modify or revise the works

programme with the approval of the contract
administrator to take into account any changed
circumstances or events affecting the progress and/
or the execution of the works e.g. Clause 5.6 37 CIDB
Form (2000 Edn.)

If the progress of the works does not conform to

the approved programme, the contract administrator
may instruct the contractor to revise the programme.
The contractor shall thereafter revise the programme
to show the modifications necessary to ensure
completion of the works within the time stipulated
for completion e.g. Clause 7.5 38 IEM.ME 1/94 Form.

It should be appreciated that although such express

clauses are specially drafted to give wide powers to
the contract administrator vis--vis the exercise of
his powers of approval to the revisions/alterations,
these powers are restricted by the overall exercise of
reasonableness; a fact that must be borne in mind by
contract administrators when reviewing the
contractors requests for relevant modifications.

Some forms of conditions of contract 39 on the other

hand, either have no such express provisions, or are
generally silent on the question of revision or
amendment of the work programme and/or the
necessity of seeking the contract administrators
approval for such modifications.
The consequences of such an eventuality is neatly
summed up by Roger Knowles in the following words:
In the absence of an express requirement to seek
approval to amend, the contractor can revise his
programme as he wishes. An architect or engineer
who has not been asked to approve or accept an
amended programme may feel under no obligation
to issue drawings in good time to enable the
contractor to comply with the revised programme 40
Hence, in view of the impact of the contractors
revisions on the contract administrators obligations
vis--vis the supply of information, drawings, etc. to
enable the contractor to proceed with his works as
planned, it is rare for the contractor not to seek the
latters approval to the revisions. Therefore, it is a
rule rather than an exception for the procedure
governing the approval process to be adopted in
practice for not only the initial submission but also
for any subsequent revisions notwithstanding the
absence of express stipulations thereto.
MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES
I. Optimistic/Shortened Programme
It is an express requirement in most contracts for the
contractor to programme his works such that he can
complete the works on or before the date for
36. Entitled Alteration to Programme
37. Called Modification or Revision To Works 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

B U L E T I N I N G E N I E U R 29

engineering & law

Work Programme A Contractual Perspective

engineering & law

completion stated in the contract 41. Some contractors

however, prepare and submit an optimistic or
shortened programme i.e. targeting an earlier
completion date. Various reasons have been proffered
for this practice ranging from a genuine desire to
achieve earlier discharge of the contractual obligations
at one end of the spectrum to a sinister goal of
improving the contractors chances of claims for
monetary compensation, etc. due to an increased
possibility of acts of prevention on the employers
part vis--vis the shortened programme.
An optimistic or shortened programme should
be viewed with caution by the employer/ contract
administrator due to a host of reasons; the principal
of which include:

It accelerates the demands on the employer /

contract administrator in undertaking their various
obligations and duties 42 e.g. furnishing information
/ drawings, granting necessary approvals, etc. to
meet the shortened or earlier targets set by the
contractor;

There was no implied obligation on the employer to

supply information, through his architect 45, so as to
enable the contractor to finish early; and

It was neither reasonable nor equitable that the

contractor should be able to place, after the
contract had been made, a unilateral obligation
on the employer 46

II. Float In Work Programme

In preparing a programme, contractors generally
have to make a considered decision as to, amongst
others, the specific duration that has to be allocated to
a particular work activity. Where the contractor
anticipates uncertainties, he must allocate a buffer
period i.e. he must schedule that activity to take longer
than estimated to cushion him against any unforeseen
circumstances. Such a contingency period, often
dubbed as float 47 caters for uncertain risks covering
matters of the likes of:

Adverse ground conditions;

It imposes unreasonable demands on the employers

cash flow and financial allocation to meet the
accelerated payment to the contractor;

Inclement weather;

Unavailability of labour, materials, etc.;

It increases the likelihood of the employer

defaulting in his obligations to the contractor i.e.
giving rise to acts of prevention that will delay the
contractor and entitle him to various contractual
claims; and

Strikes, lockouts, etc.;

Rectification of self-induced mistakes; and

Unforeseen conditions/circumstances, etc.

It generally transfers the risk of default in time

obligations onto the employer.

In view of the said time cushion, it is a common

belief in programming circles that an activity with a
float will be an activity rarely falling on the critical
path and hence will not constitute a critical activity.
Though there may be little dispute on this matter, there
is however considerable confusion as to the ownership
of the float time, with both the contractors and the
employers /contract administrators laying claim to this
critical item.

Robinson and Lavers sum up this matter in the

following manner:43
. a programme to complete prior to the required
date for completion is probably within the contractors
rights and has the effect of requiring the architect to
produce his drawings for the earlier critical dates at
least as far as that may be reasonably capable of
achievement. The consultants should not query a
contractors programme unless it is clearly unrealistic
or places unreasonable demands on the employers
cash flow or the design work schedule
Be that as it may, the legal position vis--vis an
optimistic or shortened programme is reflected in
the judgment of the case of Glenlion Construction
Ltd. v The Guinness Trust 44 where it was held
that:

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 89
45. 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.

BULETIN INGENIEUR

30

Roger Knowles 48 who opines There is no hard

and fast rule but it would seem that, as a contractor
will normally include float in his programme to
accommodate his risk items which cannot be
accurately predetermined in terms of time
involvement, and also provide time for correcting
mistakes, then the float belongs to him and the
employer or architect / engineer cannot object if
later reprogramming by the contractor absorbs it

In the event the contract is silent on the above

matter, the general legal position is as reflected per
the views of the authorities quoted hereabove 51 i.e.
the float time belongs to the contractor and is not
at the disposal of the employer / contract
administrator; and

Even in situations where there are express

provisions in the contract, transferring ownership
of the float time to the employer, the effectiveness
of such stipulations in terms of enforceability in
actual practice is questionable owing to the
existence of a number of factors including, inter
alia:

Robinson and Lavers 49 are of the view that where

a contractor has given himself float in his
programme, such float is for his purposes only, and
(unless EOT is to be allowed) must not be used up
by the contract administrators delays or additional
demands.

Recently, there has been a tendency by some

employer to expressly define in the conditions of
contract as to the ownership of the float time.
Examples of the above, involve the following:

Putrajaya Conditions of Main Contract, clause 43.07

holds: Float time within the work schedule belongs
to the employer and the E.R. may direct that float
time be utilized by the contractor to advance the
performance of the works and the contractor shall
forthwith comply with such direction at his own
cost without any right to an extension of time

Putrajaya Conditions of Nominated Sub-Contract

in clause 24.7 sets out an identical approach in the
following manner: Float time within the subcontract work schedule belongs to the Employer.
The contractor with the approval of the E.R., may
direct that float time be utilized by the Nominated
Sub-Contractor to advance the performance of the
Sub-Contract works and the Nominated Subcontractor shall forthwith comply with such
direction at his own cost without any right to an
extension of time.

In summarizing the discussion on this subject, the

relevant matters that need to be taken cognizance of
are as set out herebelow:

Where the parties have expressly set out and

defined the question as to the effect and ownership
of the float time 50, prima facie such intentions will
be duly enforced within the context of the contract;

a) The operation of the contra proferantum rule;

b) The satisfaction of the reasonableness test; and
c) The lack of motivation for the contractor to
programme his activities to include float time;
which at the end of the day is not of any
advantage to him.
The employer may be under a delusion that such
an express clause effectively protects him and transfers
risk of delay, perhaps, for acts of prevention on to
the contractors shoulders. In the first place, unless he
can show that such an agreement was not unilaterally
imposed but reached through mutual consent by parties
of equal bargaining strength, the effectiveness of the
clause is questionable 52. The latter is further eroded
by actual implementation in practice. Short of actively
interfering with the contractors programming of works
by directing the inclusion of specific float time in
particular activities (thereby infringing the contractors
right to sequence his work as per his requirements),
there appears to be no practical method for the
employer to enforce this right.
III. Failure of Contractor to Follow Programme
As we have seen in the preceding sections of this
paper 53 it is a common practice for most standard
forms of conditions of contract to impose an obligation
on the contractor to submit a work programme. The
consequences of the contractor in defaulting as to this

48. Ibid.
49. In Construction Law in Singapore and Malaysia [2nd Edn.]
at P 299
50. E.g. The Putrajaya Conditions of Main and Nominated
Sub-contracts
51. I.e. Roger Knowles and Robinson and Lavers
52. Even under the Doctrine of Freedom to Contract

BULETIN INGENIEUR

31

engineering & law

A fair amount of propositions have been forwarded

by a number of authorities vis--vis the question as to
the ownership of such float; notable examples of
which include:

engineering & law

completion. Clause 65 58 includes the default of failing

to proceed with due diligence as ground for
determination but it is arguable that diligence relates
to correctness and that it does not extend to expedition

requirement have also been adequately dealt with.

Notwithstanding the contractors submission of such
a document, a cardinal issue that often arises is one
concerning the contractual ramifications consequent
to the contractors failure to follow the programme
that has been submitted and duly approved by the
contract administrator.

Divergence from the work programme will not

attract adverse contractual effect. Hence, the failure
to comply with such a programme is not in itself a
breach of contract but it may contribute to evidence of
failure to proceed regularly and diligently in
accordance with clause 21.1 60. For example, the
architect may form a view based on the failure of the
contractor to follow the scheduled events as timetabled
or more generally, the failure to regularly and
diligently proceed, in which case he may give
instructions to expedite the progress and call for
revisions to the work programme

In formulating a suitable answer to the query raised,

one has to be mindful of the very nature of the
programme itself i.e. it has to be a flexible document.
This view is buttressed by the fact that most, if not all
the standard conditions of contract, either expressly
or impliedly refuse to categorize the work programme
as a contract document; 54 thereby watering down any
contractual obligation on the contractor in respect of
the programme.
The concern that next arises in challenging the
above approach revolves around the various express
provisions 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.

The salient points that can be crystallised from the

abovementioned discussion can be adumbrated as
herebelow:

53.
54.
55.
56.

Eggleston in The Design and Construct Contract:

A Commentary 57 states:
Although failure by the contractor to proceed with
due expedition and without delay is a breach of
contract, it is not fully clear whether or not the
employer has a remedy other than damages for late

In Construction Law in Singapore and Malaysia,61

Robinson and Lavers hold that:
there is no contractual obligation to work to
a programme. Thus, linkage between the contract
and construction management was, and largely,
remains weak, and contractual remedies remain
inadequate but nevertheless continuing progress remain
effective only in extreme cases where the employers
interest has become severely prejudiced. Orders for
specific performance are not a viable alternative remedy

Prima facie, such express provisions appear to

impose a contractual obligation on the contractor to
comply with his programme; failure to do so being a
breach of contract. However the consequences of such
a breach are neither expressly spelt out nor made
sufficiently clear in most conditions of contract.
Furthermore, in the case of Glenlion Construction Ltd.
v The Guinness Trust 56 it was held that a contractor
was entitled to carry out and complete the contract
work by any date that was not later than the stipulated
date for completion irrespective of any work
programme submitted and approved: there being no
contractual obligation on him to work to a programme.
The consequences of the failure of the contractor
to proceed in accordance with his programme has
drawn a number of useful comments from academics
and authorities; notable examples of which include
the following:

Sundra Rajoo is of the opinion that: 59

57.
58.
59.
60.
61.

The work programme being intended to be a flexible

document is seldom classified as a contract document.
Hence, the failure of the contractor to comply with
the said programme, prima facie, therefore avoids
imposing a contractual obligation on him to work to
the said programme;

Entitled Express Contract Provisions.

See Section entitled Status of the Programme.
e.g. Clause 17.1 CIDB Form (2000) Edn.
[1987] 30 BLR 89 as reported in Construction Law in
Singapore and Malaysia [2nd Edn.] by Robinson and Lavers
at P 29.
At P 246.
Of the ICE Design and Construct Conditions
See The Malaysian Standard Form of Building Contract [2nd
Edn.] at P 82 and 83.
Of the PAM 98 Form.
[2nd Edn.] by Robinson and Lavers.

BULETIN INGENIEUR

32

CONCLUSION

Even in the face of express contractual provisions

prescribing the contractors performance of the
works to comply with the programme and/or to
the contract as a whole, following Glenlions Case
the contractor is merely obliged to carry out and
complete the contract works latest by the date for
completion stipulated in the contract 62; and

The work programme is one of the most significant

tools employed both by Contractors and Contract
Administrators (and more often than not by Employers)
as a means of ensuring that the contents of the contract
documents are realized into the eventual end product
that meets the expectations of all parties involved in
the construction process. It is also features as a
prominent document that forms part of the contractors
submittal during the early stages of the commencement
of the works. Owing to the recognition that has been
afforded to it over the years, the work programme has
moved from the backwaters of a typical contract
activity to assume a forefront role; in the process also
generating a host of issues (both contractual and
procedural) that has taken many an ill-informed
practitioner off-guard. It should be apparent from the
foregoing discussion that the topic of work programme
is not that straightforward as it is assumed to be.
It has many facets that require addressing by the
different parties; some of these being merely of a
procedural nature whilst others exhibit a contractual/
legal hue. With the growing complexity of engineering
and construction projects having multi-party, multi
disciplinary and multi-layered activities, the instant
topic has generated and will continue to spew-out in
the foreseeable future areas of contention and claims
with their attendant contractual consequences. It is
hoped that the topic under review be given a more
focused and serious consideration to ensure that the
typical projects aim of ensuring quality, cost and time
(without the attendant claims) is satisfactorily realized.

Should the contractor fail to comply with the

programme, the employers remedies are limited to
the following:
a) Damages 63 for late completion i.e. should the
contractor fail to complete the works by the date
for completion stipulated in the contract and /
or any approved revised date;
b) Instructing the contractor to expedite the works
and requiring the contractor to revise the
programme to reflect the necessary changes
arising from the said instructions; and/or
c) Determining the employment of the contractor
under the contract provided:
i)

There is a clause in the contract 64 permitting

the employer to determine the contractors
employment; and

ii) There is an express ground for

determination premised on failure to
proceed regularly and diligently with the
works 65; and
iii) The employer is able to establish that the
contractors failure to comply with the
programme constitutes the default of failing
to proceed regularly and diligently with
the works and has severely prejudiced his
interests under the contract.
Apart from the above-listed options, there appear
to be no other viable alternatives for the employer to
adopt consequent to the failure of the contractor to
follow the work programme.

REFERENCES

62.
63.
64.
65.

Or any other revised/extended date

i.e. Liquidated and Ascertained Damages, etc.
E.g. Clause 25.1 PAM 98 Form.
Sub-clause 25.1 (ii) PAM 98 Form.

B. Eggleston, The ICE Design and Construct Contract:

A Commentary [2 nd End.], Blackwell Scientific
Publications.
Duncan Wallace, Hudsons Building and Engineering
Contracts, [13th Edn.] Sweet & Maxwell
Ir. Harbans Singh K.S. Engineering and Construction
Contracts Management: Commencement and
Administration Lexis-Nexis Business Solutions.
M.W Abrahamson, Engineering Law and the ICE
Contracts, [4th Edn.], Blackwell Science.
Robinson, Lavers, Tan & Chan, Construction Law
in Singapore and Malaysia, [2nd End.], Butterworths.
Roger Knowles, 100 Contractual Problems and Their
Solutions, Blackwell Science.
Sundra Rajoo, The Malaysian Standard Form of
Building Contract [2nd Edn.], Malayan Law Journal.
Vincent Powell-Smith, An Engineering Contract
Dictionary Legal Studies and Services (Publishing)
Ltd. BEM

BULETIN INGENIEUR

33

engineering & law

management

The Managerial Function Of

Control For Consulting Engineers
By Ir. Tee Horng Hean

In whatever industry one is in, one cannot run away from the fact that management is required to ensure that
the industry is operated in an orderly and efficient manner. The managerial function of control covers a wide
area. Some organisations such as Mohamed Mustafa & Shamsuddin Company, a well-known Singaporean
retailer had to adopt the managerial function of control to prevent customer fraud (Yee, May 11, 2000) and
with control these can be minimised. In the United States, it is estimated that US$200 billion yearly is lost
due to employee theft and fraud (Bell & Smith, December 3, 2003; Buss, 1993, pp. 3638).
In this article,
the managerial function of control is presented with respect to the technical aspects at the construction
site. The managerial function of control is important to all managers as many untoward incidences can be
prevented through the implementation of appropriate control measures.

n any organisation, be it small or

large and in whatever industry,
there is a need for management.
Management is essential to ensure
that an organisation operates in an
orderly manner as opposed to a chaotic
manner. The two terms that need
further explanation are organisation
and management.
An organisation is defined as a
group (at least two or more persons)
of people with formally assigned tasks,
working hand-in-hand to achieve the
organisations intended goals (Dessler,
2004, p.2) or is classically defined as
a system of consciously coordinated
activities or forces of two or more
people (Barnard, 1938, p.73).
Management is defined as the
process of coordinating work activities
in such a manner that they are
completed efficiently (gaining the most
output by adopting the least amount of
inputs) and effectively (performing the
right activities in order to attain
organisational goals) with and through
other people and involves the on-going
functions of planning, organising,
leading and controlling (Robbins &
Coulter, 2003, p.6; Bartol & Martin,
2003, p.17).
Control can involve various areas
such as the control of costs (financial
resources), control of schedule (time
management), control of workers
(human resources management), etc. In
this paper, we shall be primarily focused

on the managerial function of control

in terms of technical aspects. The
author would like to highlight the
managerial function of control
especially on technical aspects at the
construction site as through focusing
of technical aspects it is highly possible
that untoward incidences such as
structural
failure
due
to
misconstruction, bad workmanship, etc.
can be avoided.
EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL
CONTROLS
As mentioned earlier, management
involves, planning, organising, leading
and controlling. In the consulting
engineering industry, we can categorise
the managerial function of control into
external and internal controls. Control
is the managerial task of ensuring that
the activities carried out are providing
the desired results (Dessler, 2004,
p.366). Put in another way, control is
concerned with seeing that the right
things happen at the right time, in the
right way (Kinicki & Williams, 2003,
p.524).
Internal control, which is trivial to
most managers, indicates that the
managerial function of control is
implemented within the consulting
engineering organisation. The technical
aspects of internal control in the
consulting engineering industry
involves the checking of engineering

B U L E T I N I N G E N I E U R 34

drawings and specifications, ensuring

designs conform to latest engineering
standards, etc. These are routine to most
managers. It is nowadays common to
make use of engineering software that
performs engineering designs with just
a click of a mouse button and the
designs can be modelled to comply with
various engineering standards.
However, engineers should realise that
computers are merely tools and should
not blindly accept the results without
understanding how the values were
generated. Some famous quotes (Bott,
1997; Paulino, 2000) on the finite
elements, a computational method for
engineering analysis are as follows:
A structure is not obliged to behave
how the computer says it should,
regardless of how expensive the
programme, how many digits in the
results, or how elegant the graphics
display.
Computer graphics have achieved
such a polish and versatility as to
inspire great trust in the underlying
analysis, a trust that may be
unwarranted. (One can make more
mistakes with more confidence than ever
before.)
Although the Finite Element method
can make a good engineer better, it can
make a poor engineer more dangerous.
An analyst unable to do even a crude
pencil and paper analysis of the problem
probably doesnt know enough to
attempt a solution by finite elements.

management
The concept of peer review or
checkers introduced by the Board of
Engineers, Malaysia is another form of
internal control and this would be an
excellent added measure to spot any
engineering design errors. This is an
example of the Feedforward Control
which shall be explained in the next
section.
External control on the other hand
involves the implementation of the
managerial function of control outside
of the engineering consultancy firm. As
engineers spend a great deal of time
solving technical problems that
frequently arise during the construction
stage, we shall discuss more on this
area.
There are three types of control (see
Figure 1) namely the Feedforward,
Concurrent and Feedback Control
(Kinicki & Williams, 2003, p.529;
Dessler, 2004, p.367).
FEEDFORWARD, CONCURRENT AND
FEEDBACK CONTROL
The Feedforward Control involves
anticipating problems before they occur.
An example of the Feedforward Control
would be an engineer advising the
contractor not to place heavy
construction materials or equipment on
the slab supported by a cantilever beam,
after these structural elements are cast.
The Concurrent Control involves
correcting problems as they surface. For
instance, it was noted by an engineer
during his site visits, that workers
started placing heavy equipment on the
cantilever-supported slab. The
contractor was immediately requested
to instruct his workers to have the heavy
equipment removed before any possible
over-stressing of structural elements

occur since the cantilever was not

designed to withstand heavy equipment.
Finally, the Feedback Control
involves correcting problems after they
occur and can sometimes be costly to
rectify the problem(s). For example, it
was found that materials and equipment
were placed on the cantilever-supported
slab resulting in the excessive deflection
of the cantilever and cracks had
developed near the cantilever support.
The contractor is instructed to remove
the materials and equipment. Also, a
proposal on the rectification of the
defects is to be prepared by the
contractor (which would incur time and
money).
CARRYING OUT
EXTERNAL CONTROL

them to supervise their construction of

their projects (ACEM, 2001, p. 250) as
through supervision only then can
engineers rectify any problems that
occur and also to prevent any
anticipated problems that may arise. It
is a fact that not all problems can be
solved without visiting the site. Even
contractors are faced with a similar
situation. Before the submission of their
tender prices, contractors are normally
advised to visit the site as this would
aid them in pricing realistically rather
than based on assumptions and
intuition which may be inaccurate or
wrong.
ADVANTAGES/IMPORTANCE
OF CONTROL

With regard to externally

implementing control at the
construction site, engineers
nowadays
can
adopt
the
advancement of information and
communication technology and
relevant information pertaining to
the conditions at a construction site
through the use of mobile phone,
telephone,
fax,
modem,
teleconferencing, etc.
Theoretically, with the advancement
of information and communication
technology, engineers can obtain
information pertaining to a
construction site without physically
being there but engineers must still be
physically be at the project site as this
is mandatory.
A letter written by Tan Sri Dato Ir.
Talha Haji Mohd. Hashim dated June
21,1989 (the then President of the Board
of Engineers, Malaysia), addressed to
all Professional Engineers, reminded

Legal Aspects

According to Section 71 of the

Street, Drainage and Building Act,
1974:71. Where any building or part of
building fails, whether in the course of
construction or after completion, or
where there is any failure in relation to
any earthworks or part of any
earthworks, whether in the course of
the carrying out of the earthworks or
after completion thereof and the cause
of such failure is due to any one or more
of 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 such
earthworks, the person responsible for:
(aa)
(bb)
(cc)

such misconstruction or such

lack of proper supervision;
such
misdesign
or
miscalculation; or
such misuse,

shall be liable on conviction to a fine

not exceeding fifty thousand dollars or
to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding ten years or to both.
Building is defined in the Act as
follows:

Figure 1: Types of Control

Source: Adopted From: Kinicki, A. & Williams, B. K., 2003, Management A Practical
Introduction, McGraw Hill, Boston, p.529.

B U L E T I N I N G E N I E U R 35

Building includes any house,

hut, shed or roofed enclosure, whether
used for the purpose of a human
habitation or otherwise, and also any
wall, fence, platform, staging, gate,

management
post, pillar, piling frame, hoarding,
slip, dock, wharf, pier, jetty, landingstage or bridge or any structure
support or foundation connected to
the foregoing;
Also, it is stipulated in the Uniform
Building By-Laws 1984, By-Law 5,
that supervision of a project site is
mandatory before the erection of a
building can take place.
Since engineers shoulder a very
heavy professional obligation,
engineers should see to it that
building failures do not occur to
avoid being involved in any sort of
tedious process of litigations. Only
through implementing the managerial
function of control can engineers
ensure that negative occurrences are
prevented.

physical or objective influences

(Bateman & Snell, 2004, p.34). In the
Hawthrone studies, the researchers
discovered that the workers felt that
they were special since they were
observed (Dessler, 2004, p.12) and in
other words, if workers are given special
attention, their productivity would be
increased (Kinicki & Williams, 2003,
p.43) and this is known as the
Hawthrone effects.
Therefore, an indirect advantage of
frequent site inspections or supervision
would be an increase in workers
motivation and productivity especially
when the workers are observed and
given due attention.
ADOPTING ENGINEERING WAP
APPLICATIONS IN CARRYING OUT
EXTERNAL CONTROL

Workmanship

It is not uncommon to find

unskilled workers carrying out
construction works in the project site.
This is another good reason why site
inspections should be carried out.
Some of the shoddy and
unsatisfactory works that one may
have had experienced are inadequate
cover to steel reinforcements,
inadequate lever arm for reinforced
concrete structural members,
insufficient lap length, and not
following construction drawings.
There are times where workers may
improvise their method of work for
convenience and if no monitoring or
inspection whatsoever were carried out,
failure may highly be probable.
For instance, as noted by David H.
Nicastro in an investigation, the
structural beams at a site failed because
workers installing the shear links spaced
out the stirrups equally though the links
were designed and drafted as unequally
spaced (see Figure 2) and after
construction, a progressive failure of the
beams occurred. It was noted by David
H. Nicastro that in order to prevent such
failures, monitoring is essential
(Nicastro, 1997, p.16).
Workers tend to carry out their tasks
as they like and to prevent such
occurrences, they need to be controlled
through supervision.

identified at the initial stage rather than

rectifying problems at the later stage
as they involve more complications.
The old saying goes, A stitch in time
saves nine. Lets take for instance, a
worker is found to be working
dangerously by not providing safety
harness while painting the rafter of a
portal frame. If there is no monitoring
and control of safety, the worker is
working under an extremely risky
condition which is hazardous to his life.
If an accident occurs, the contractor
would be sued for compensation, etc.
and this would mean monetary loss and
delay in completion of the project.

Economic Benefits

For the economic benefit of the ongoing project, it is a fact that whatever
shortcomings noted initially would be
simpler and less costly to rectify when

Figure 2: Failure of precast beam

Source: Adapted From: Nicastro, D. H.,
1997, Failure Mechanisms in Building
Construction, ASCE Press, Virginia, p.16.

Motivation and
The Hawthrone Studies

The Hawthrone studies started off

with a scientific approach and were
carried out in 1924 to research the effect
of increasing the illumination levels on
workers productivity (Robbins &
Coulter, 2003, pp.38 39). However,
it was found that there was no
relationship between increasing the
intensity of light and the workers
productivity. Surprisingly, it was found
that by decreasing the intensity of light,
productivity of workers continued to
improve, opposing common logic. It
was concluded that productivity of
workers are affected by psychological
and social factors rather than by
B U L E T I N I N G E N I E U R 36

There are times whereby an engineer

may need to make prompt technicalbased decisions at the construction site.
Many a time, technical-based decisions
may require an engineer to refer to his
design office to undertake appropriate
engineering calculations and this may
take some time known as information
float. Information float is the time
(which can be as long as several days)
when a written letter, document or other
information is in transit between the
sender and receiver, and thus
unavailable for any action or response
(OBrien, 1997, p.228). However, with
the advancement of technology today,
through the use of mobile phones or
other wireless devices that are WAPenabled, an engineer is able to perform
appropriate engineering calculations on
the spot using a mobile phone. As long
as an engineer codes his programme
correctly, he should be able to obtain
the correct results using an Engineering
WAP Application. An example of an
Engineering WAP Application written
by the author to design moments for a
rectangular section of reinforced
concrete beam can be downloaded
from
the
URL,
http://
www.freesoftware.com.my/bembem.wml
using a WAP-enabled mobile phone (see
Figure 3, Figure 4 and Figure 5).
Besides being able to perform
engineering calculations, engineers can
also code in appropriate Clauses from
the Code of Practices as an aid to remind
him of certain requirements. For
instance, when an engineer is
performing his rounds and suspects that
the lapping of reinforcement bars are
inadequate and he can vaguely

management

Figure 3: A WAP Engineering

Application
remember the precise amount of the
number of times of bar diameters
required for lapping, he can instantly
connect his mobile phone to his server
to obtain the appropriate clause he has
coded.
Other than that, other engineering
formulae can also be coded in and
engineers can retrieve the appropriate
formula when required. Similar to that,
an engineer could also code information
such as the properties of Universal
Beams, Universal Columns, etc. and
where the need of this information
arises, the engineer can promptly
perform a quick calculation and make
use of a particular steel section by
referring to the cross-sectional area,
elastic modulus, etc. through the use of
WAP Engineering Applications.
Basically, the main advantage of
WAP Engineering Applications is that
the user is mobile and he can access
information, perform calculations, etc.
anytime and anywhere as long as there
is adequate network coverage.
It is possible with the current
technology for site staff such as the
clerk of works and the supervisor to
adopt WAP applications. Basically, the
traditional inspection forms can be
replaced by an appropriate WAP
application and WAP-enabled mobile
phones can be used to download the
WAP-version of inspection form.
Consequently, every structural element
such as columns, beams, slabs, etc. that
are being inspected can be updated over
the Internet in real-time by pushing the
buttons on the mobile phone. The
engineer involved in the project could
then be able to monitor if say a
particular column has been cast to the

Figure 4: Variables to be input

Figure 5: Executing
the WAP Engineering Application

required dimension, adequate bars have

been provided, adequate reinforcement
cover has been allowed for, etc.
(6)
CONCLUSION
Some of the importance/advantages
of implementing control have been
presented. One should also note that
just as there are advantages in
implementing the managerial function
of control, there also exists barriers due
to too much control, too little employee
participation, over-emphasis on means
instead of ends, over-emphasis on
paperwork and over-emphasis on one
instead of multiple approaches, etc.
(Kinicki & Williams, 2003, pp. 545546). When adopting a suitable control
system to manage an organisation,
these barriers to controls should be
accounted for.

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

REFERENCES
(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

ACEM, 2001, Association of

Consulting Engineers, Malaysia
Directory 2000 2001,
Association of Consulting
Engineers, Malaysia, Kuala
Lumpur.
Barnard, C. I., 1938, The Functions
of the Executive, Harvard
University Press, Cambridge.
Bartol, K. M. & Martin, D. C., 2003,
Manangement, Third Edition,
McGraw Hill, Boston.
Bateman & Snell, 2004,
Management The New
Competitive Landscape, Sixth
Edition, McGraw Hill, Boston.
Bell, A. M. & Smith, D. M., 3
December 2000, Theft and Fraud

B U L E T I N I N G E N I E U R 37

(11)

(12)

(13)

(14)

May be an Inside Job, Workforce

Online, [Online], Available from
URL: http://www.workforce.com.
Bott, A., 1997, Analytical
Investigation of Bone-pin Stresses,
[Online], Available from URL:
http://freespace.virgin.net/
aden.bott/fyp.html [Accessed 11
May 2004].
Buss, D., September 1993, Ways
to Curtail Employee Theft,
Nations Business.
C. May Yee, Singaporean Sari
Store is Undone by Fraud Online,
Interactive Wall Street Journal,
[Online], Available from URL:
http://www.interactie.wsj.com.
Dessler, G., 2004, Management
Principles and Practices for
Tomorrows Leaders, Third
Edition, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
Kinicki, A. & Williams, B. K.,
2003, Management A Practical
Introduction, McGraw Hill,
Boston.
Nicastro, D. H., 1997, Failure
Mechanisms in Building
Construction, ASCE Press,
Virginia.
OBrien, J. A., 1997, Introduction
to Information Systems, Eight
Edition, McGraw Hill, Boston.
Paulino, G. H., 2000, Warning:
The Computed Answer May Be
Wrong, [Online], Available from
URL: http://www.ce.uiuc.edu/
p a u l i n o / c e e 3 61 / h a n d o u t s /
wrcabm.hm [Accessed 11 May
2004].
Robbins, S. P. & Coulter, M.,
2003, Management, Seventh
Edition, Prentice Hall, New
Jersey. BEM

feature

Managing Flood Problems

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

alaysia
has
an
equatorial climate
with constant high
temperatures and high
relative humidity. The climate is
influenced by the northeast and
southwest monsoons. The former,
prevailing between November and
February, brings heavy rainfall (as
much as 600 mm in 24 hours in
extreme cases) predominantly to the
east coast of Peninsular Malaysia and
to Sabah and Sarawak. Rain bearing
winds also comes with the southwest
monsoon from April to September,
though rainfalls during this period are
generally less than during the
northeast monsoon. There are, in
addition, two transitional periods
between the monsoons (intermonsoon) when convectional
thunderstorms are common.
The annual average rainfall is
2,420 mm for Peninsular Malaysia,
2,630 mm for Sabah and 3,830 mm
for Sarawak, with heavier
precipitation recorded in the east
coast of Peninsular Malaysia and the
coastal regions of Sabah and
Sarawak.
There are two basic types of
rainfall causing flooding viz. (i)
moderate intensity, long-duration
rainfall covering a wide area; and (ii)
high intensity, short-duration
localised rainfall. In addition, flood
records indicate that there is a
seasonal pattern of flood occurrences.
The east coast and the southern part
of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and
Sarawak are mainly affected by floods
during December to January when the
northeast monsoon is prevailing.
Flooding occurs due to widespread
prolonged heavy rainfall resulting in
a large concentration of runoff which
is very much in excess of the

capacities of streams and rivers.

Extensive areas are often inundated.
The west coast of Peninsular
Malaysia, on the other hand, is mainly
affected from September to November
during the inter-monsoon period
when convectional thunderstorms
become prevalent. Such storms bring
short but very intense rainfall, which
severely overloads the drainage
systems, causing localised flash
floods.

MAJOR FLOOD EVENTS AND

CAUSES OF FLOODING

Several major floods have been

experienced in the last few decades.
As far back as 1886, a severe flood
with gale-force winds caused extensive
damages in Kelantan. The flood of
1926, supposedly the worst in living
memory in Malaysia, affected most of
Peninsular Malaysia, resulting in
extensive damages to property, road
systems and agricultural land and
crops. In 1967, disastrous floods
surged across the Kelantan,
Terengganu and Perak river basins,
taking 55 lives. A few years later, in
1971, a catastrophic flood swept across
many parts of the country. Pahang was
severely affected, suffering great
economic losses in the form of
property and crops, as well as a death
toll of 24. Kuala Lumpur, the Federal
capital, suffered equally the wrath of
the flood, an incident that
overshadowed all past memories of
floods in Malaysia.
Flood occurrences seem to be
getting more frequent in recent years,
especially in some cities like Kuala
Lumpur, Penang and Kuching where
rapid urbanisation is taking place.
The main causes of flooding in
Malaysia are as follows:

BULETIN INGENIEUR

38

Loss of flood storage as a result

of development extending into
and taking over flood plains and
drainage corridors
Increased runoff rates due to
urbanisation
Inadequate drainage systems or
failure of localised drainage
improvement works, extended
insufficiently downstream
Constriction at bridges and
culverts that are either
undersized or partially blocked
by debris build-up or from other
causes
Siltation in waterway channels
from indiscriminate land
clearing operations
Localised continuous heavy
rainfall
Tidal backwater effect
Inadequate river capacity

FLOOD CONTROL MEASURES

Following the disastrous 1971
flood, the Government took several
positive steps to deal with the flood
problem. Among these were:

Establishment of the Permanent

Flood Control Commission
Establishment of flood disaster
relief machinery
Implementation of structural
measures
Implementation of nonstructural measures
Setting up of flood forecasting
and warning systems
Carrying out of river basin
studies and preparation of
drainage master plans for major
towns
Setting up of a nationwide
network of hydrological and
flood data collection stations

To take measures for flood control

and to reduce the occurrence of
floods
In the event of floods, to minimise
damage and loss of life and
property

The main objective of the Flood

Commission is prevention rather than
cure. Since its inception, the
Commissions recommendations of
projects for flood control have been
made with the overall view of meeting
the objectives of the New Economic
Policy of eradicating poverty and
restructuring society. The Commission
is presently chaired by the Honorary
Minister of Agriculture with the
Drainage and Irrigation Department
(DID) acting as the Secretariat. (In
2004, due to the recent Cabinet
decision of placing DID under the
newly formed Ministry of Natural
Resources and Environment, it is
envisaged that the chairmanship of
the Commission will be transferred to
the new Minister of Natural Resources
and Environment.)

Flood Disaster Relief Machinery

This machinery was established
with the objective of co-ordinating
relief operations at the Federal, state
and district levels so that assistance
can be provided to flood victims in
an orderly and effective manner.
Overall, the coordination of relief
operations is the responsibility of the
Natural Disaster Relief Committee.
This committee is headed by the
Minister of Information with its
secretariat at the National Security
Council. The committee is
empowered, among other things, to
declare any district, state or even the
whole nation to be in a state of
disaster so as to be eligible for getting
financial assistance from the Federal
Government for remedial works in
addition to the allocation of funds
under the operation budget. Members
of this Committee include
Government departments/agencies
and social organisations which
provide shelter, rescue and food
supplies in case of disaster. At least
once a year, normally before the
northeast monsoon, the Committee
will meet to ensure that its machinery
will run smoothly.
River Basin Studies
The objective of river basin studies
is to draw up appropriate flood maps
and also feasible projects for the
respective basin areas so that their
development is properly managed and
that water resources management,
including flood control measures, is

BULETIN INGENIEUR

39

effective and well-controlled. These

studies recommend the optional flood
control planning and design criteria
for the respective basins. Generally,
socioeconomic considerations for
the basin will dominate the design
criteria.
Since 1972, a number of river
basin studies have been carried out
for rivers where major flood problems
exist. The objective of these studies
is to draw up master plans for water
resources development, and measures
for flood mitigation form an
important component. To date, more
than 26 river basin studies have been
completed, including Kuala Lumpur
(1974 and 2002), Pahang River (1974),
Kelantan River (1978 and 1989),
Terengganu River (1978), Limbang
River (1978), Kinabatangan River
(1982), Samarahan River (1983), Batu
Pahat River (1984), Johor River
(1985), Golok River (1985), Besut
River (1988), Klang River (1978,1989
and 1994), Menggatal, Sabah (1999),
Miri Flood Diversion (2000), Linggi
(2000), Selangor River (2000), and
Bernam (2001).
Realising the need for a long-term
water resources development strategy
and master plan, the Government has
carried out a National Water
Resources Study (1982) to develop a
comprehensive and coordinated water
resources development programme
for the country. The study has
formulated a long-term plan for flood
mitigation works in various floodprone areas in the country. This
includes improvement of 850 km of
river channels, construction of 12
multi-purpose dams, 82 km of flood
bypass, 12 ring bunds around urban
centres, and resettlement of about
10,000 people in flood-prone areas.
The whole plan was estimated to cost
RM2.55 billion (1982 estimate) over
a period of 20 years and will provide
protection to some 1.8 million people.
(However, the cost for future flood
mitigation works is now estimated to
be in the region of RM17 billion for
the next 15 years and the estimated
number of people affected by flooding
has now risen to 4.82 million.)
A number of studies have also
been carried out with the aim of
alleviating flood problems in various
locations in the country. These include

feature

Permanent Flood
Control Commission
The Permanent Flood Control
Commission was established by a
Cabinet decision on December 21,
1971 to study short-term measures to
prevent the occurrence of floods and
long-term measures for flood
mitigation. The Commission, in its
first sitting, drew up the following
terms of reference:

feature

the Cukai Flood Mitigation Study,

Lower Perak Flood Mitigation Study
and the Kangar Flood Mitigation
Study, as well as drainage master plan
studies for the towns of Butterworth
and Bukit Mertajam, Kuala Lumpur,
Alor Setar, Sandakan/Tawau/Kota
Kinabalu, Bintulu, Johor Bahru,
Kelang and Port Kelang, Seremban,
Melaka, Kuantan, Kota Bharu, Kuala
Terengganu, Port Dickson, Raub,
Kerteh, Teluk Intan, Penang,
Langkawi, Batu Pahat, Sungai Petani,
Kuching, Ipoh and the Multimedia
Super Corridor (MSC).

Malaysia Plan (1981-1985) with

RM141 million, the 5th Malaysia Plan
(1986-1990) with RM155 million, the
6th Malaysia Plan (1991-1995) with
RM431 million, the 7th Malaysia Plan
(1996-2000) with RM845 million, and
the 8th Malaysia Plan (2001-2005)
with an allocation of RM2.7 billion.
It is estimated that the cost for future
river improvement and flood
mitigation works for the next 15 years
will amount to some RM17 billion.

Flood Mitigation Measures

From the studies that have been
carried out, various structural
(curative) as well as non-structural
(preventive) measures have been
proposed to alleviate flood problems.
Under
structural
measures,
engineering methods are used to solve
the flood problems. The river capacity
can be increased to accommodate the
surplus runoff through channel
improvement, construction of levees
and embankments, flood bypasses,
river diversions, poldering, and
construction of flood storage dams
and flood attenuation ponds, either
singly or in combination.
Non-structural measures, on the
other hand, are proposed where
engineering measures are not
applicable or viable, or where
supplemental measures are required.
They include restriction of
development, land use zoning,
resettlement of population, flood
proofing, and flood forecasting and
warning systems.
Numerous major flood mitigation
projects for urban areas have been
executed. Apart from urban areas, the
aspects of flood mitigation and flood
fighting have also been implemented
in fast-growing agricultural areas
such as the Integrated Agricultural
Development Project (IADP) areas,
namely Perlis IADP, Western Johor
IADP, Ketara IADP, Kemasin Semarak
IADP and Samarahan IADP.
Under the 2 nd Malaysia Plan
(1971-1975), only a sum of RM14
million was spent for flood mitigation
projects. This was followed by the 3rd
Malaysia Plan (1976-1980) with an
expenditure of RM56 million, the 4th

Structural measures are actually

engineering methods which include
the following:

STRUCTURAL MEASURES
(ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS)

Flood Control Dams

These dams are constructed to
retain flood water in order to protect
areas downstream of the dams.
Construction of storage dams solely
for flood control purposes is generally
economically not viable and such
dams are frequently utilised for other
purposes such as water supply. In
addition, dams constructed for
hydroelectric purposes also have a
portion of their capacity allocated for
flood detention.
Among the dams specially
constructed for flood mitigation are
Batu Dam, Semberong Dam, Bekok
Dam and Macap Dam, while irrigation
dams include Muda Dam, Pedu Dam,
Timah Tasoh Dam, Bukit Merah Dam
and Beris Dam. Hydroelectric dams
built by Tenaga Nasional Berhad
include Kenyir Dam, Bersia Dam,
Kenering Dam, Temenggong Dam and
Sultan Abu Bakar Dam.
The Klang Gates Dam is an
example of a dam built for water
supply but also serves as a flood
mitigation dam.
Canalisation And Related Works
Canalisation works include the
widening and deepening of channels
as well as lining the banks and beds
of the channels. They also include the
replacement of undersized structures
such as bridges. These works are
necessary, as the original channels
have become undersized as a result
of the increase in flood flows caused
by development.

BULETIN INGENIEUR

40

Bunding Of Rivers
Bunding of rivers prevents
overtopping and flooding of the lowlying adjacent areas. This option may
give rise to problems of internal
drainage as a result of the bunding.
Bunding an urban area introduces
high flood damage potential, as any
occurrence of flooding as a result of
flood water overtopping or breaching
the bund would be very damaging.
Storage Ponds Of
Flood Attenuation
Ponds such as disused mining
pools can be used for flood storage.
The objective is to divert the flood
water through such ponds and thus
regulate the outflow so that the flood
peaks are attenuated. This strategy
has been used in the case of Batu/
Jinjang Pond Project in Kuala Lumpur
where excess flood water is diverted
from Sg. Gombak to Batu Pond for
temporary storage and from Sg. Keroh
to Jinjang Pond. Water in the pond
will be released slowly back to the
river after the flood flow has subsided
(See Figure 1).
Poldering (Ring Bund)
Poldering is the provision of a ring
bund surrounding the area to be
protected. This is normally carried out
for an area which has high damage
potential but for which the cost on
overall basin-wide protection would
be prohibitive. It includes the
provision of internal drainage for the
area to be protected and the
evacuation of flood water by pumping
during periods of high river flows.
The present strategy of using
structural flood control measures such
as the above has proven effective in
controlling floods and is usually the
only option available for built-up
areas. However, structural measures
usually
incorporate
hard
engineering measures that result in
bigger channels conveying high flows
at high velocities. These measures
incur high costs as well as require
substantial land reserves for the
channel.
Flood Diversion Channel Or Tunnel
Certain river stretches especially
in major city centres, due to intensive
development along both riverbanks,

feature

IRBM has been incorporated into and

will be implemented starting from the
8th Malaysia Plan.

Figure 1 Structural measure using flood detention ponds

can no longer be widened or deepened
to accommodate the increasing flood
discharges through the city. Under
such circumstances, excess flood
water has to be retained upstream in
storage ponds or diverted downstream
through a flood diversion channel or
tunnel. This is being implemented in
Kuala Lumpur where the Stormwater
Management and Road Tunnel
(SMART) Project has become a viable
and innovative solution. The SMART
system, when completed, will alleviate
flooding in the Kuala Lumpur city
centre by diverting large volumes of
flood water from entering the city
centre. The tunnel is designed to
incorporate a stormwater channel and
a motorway for dual purposes. The
motorway section of the tunnel is
expected to ease traffic congestion at
the southern gateway to KL City near
Sungai Besi. This concept is believed
to be the first of its kind in the world
(See Figure 2).

Integrated River Basin

Management (IRBM)
Under the concept of IRBM, the
whole river basin is planned in an
integrated manner and all factors are
taken into consideration when a
certain development plan is proposed.
Factors like zoning for river corridors,
riparian areas, natural flood plains,
conservation of wetlands, storage
ponds, etc. will be taken into
consideration when preparing flood
management plans. The concept of

Preparation Of Guidelines And

Design Standards
Suitable guidelines and design
standards have been prepared,
specifying clear requirements, both
physical as well as technical, for rivers
and their reserves, as well as flood
mitigation and urban drainage
projects. These guidelines and design
standards, if followed strictly by the
public and private sectors, will help
minimise the occurrence of floods.
The Department of Drainage and
Irrigation has published more than 20
Hydrological Procedures as well as the
Urban Drainage Planning and Design
Procedure No. 1 for use as reference
materials and guidelines by all
planners, consultants and other
Government agencies throughout the
country.
Recently in the year 2000, a new
Urban Stormwater Management
Manual (MASMA) has been
published by DID. The Manual has
obtained Cabinet approval for
implementation
commencing
January 1, 2001 and is to be
complied with by all local authorities
and the public and private sectors.

NON-STRUCTURAL MEASURES
(NON-ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS)
Non-structural measures are
employed more for preventing floods
from occurring and with the aim of
minimising losses due to flooding.
These measures are broadly aimed at
reducing the flood magnitude through
the management of catchment
conditions as well as reducing the
flood damage. These measures
comprise the following:

Figure 2 Structural measure using a combination of diversion tunnel and detention

ponds as in SMART project in Kuala Lumpur (stormwater tunnel also functions as
motorway)

BULETIN INGENIEUR

42

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

The Manual provides control-atsource

measures
and
recommendations on flood fighting
by utilising detention/retention,
infiltration and purification
processes. This will result in a more
harmonious urban environment
thereby enhancing the aesthetic
value of the surroundings as well as
property values (See Figure 3).
Resettlement Of Population
One positive measure to reduce
damage potential as well as loss of
life in flood-prone areas where floods
would not be significantly reduced
by structural measures is to resettle
the population. Since 1971, 1,672
families and 2,715 families have been
resettled in the states of Kelantan and
Pahang respectively.
Flood Proofing
This measure consists of
implementation of protective works
to prevent the entry of flood water
into individual houses and specific
places, for example, by bunding a
building with a wall so that the floor
is not submerged during a flood,
thereby reducing flood damage. In
flood-prone cities like Kuala Lumpur
and Penang, entrances to basement
car parks should incorporate some
flood proofing measures.

Flood Forecasting And

Warning System
The provision of flood forecasting
and warning system is an important,
practical and low-cost measure to
minimise flood losses. Flood forecasts
given early will enable people living
in flood-prone areas to be warned so
that they can evacuate themselves and
their belongings before the arrival of
the flood. This can considerably reduce
flood loss and damage and above all,
the loss of human lives. Following the
1971 flood, telemetric forecasting
systems have been installed in the
major river basins, namely Kelantan,
Pahang, Perak, Sadong, Kinabatangan,
Klang, Terengganu, Besut, Dungun and
Johor, which are susceptible to major
floods from time to time. A similar
system was recently installed in the
Muar river basin in Johor and more
are being planned for another 20 river
systems. VHF flood forecasting
systems have been established in
smaller basins. In river basins which
are subjected to flash floods, little lead
time is available for effective warning.
Therefore flood warning sirens, which
automatically trigger once the flood
level reaches a critical point, have been
installed at strategic locations along
certain urban rivers to alert the local
residents of impending floods with the
aim of minimising flood damage.

BULETIN INGENIEUR

43

Since 1980, flood warning boards

have been erected in the major river
systems. Levels marked on these
warning boards are correlated to the
levels at the observation point and
they enable the residents of the
villages to assess for themselves what
the situation would be like in their
areas, upon receiving information on
the water level through radio
broadcasts, village heads and/or
police. In recent years, a web-based
information system on flood warning
and flood information can be readily
obtained
through
http://
infobanjir.moa.my.
CONCLUSION
Based on the experience
accumulated over the years in
implementing flood mitigation works,
DID is today more conscious of the
need to carry out such projects on a
river basin basis rather than on a
piecemeal approach. This kind of
approach will involve a shift from the
traditional thinking in terms of
controlling flooding through
expensive engineering structures to
the more comprehensive approach of
viewing the solution in terms of
managing flooding by incorporating
structural as well as non-structural
measures. BEM

feature

Water Resources
What
Is WaterManagement
Policy AndIn
Malaysia
The
WayPurpose?
Forward
What
Is Its
Compiled by Lee Koon Yew, Honorary Secretary General, Malaysian Water Association

olicy is a plan or a set of

principles established by a
Government entity to
provide direction on a public
issue. Hence, water policy is a widely
used term that has different meanings
in different states or applications. In
general, however, water policy is the
broadest general statement with
respect to water, which serves as the
foundation for a States water laws
and institutional arrangements.
Water policy recognises the
importance of water resources and
sets forth the Governments intentions
with respect to water, whether the
approach is or is not to actively
manage water resources. In fact, lack
of a water policy probably indicates
that a state does not have
comprehensive objectives for its water
resources. The objective of managing
the quantity, quality and reliability of
the nations water resources is to
achieve optimum, long-term,
environmentally sustainable social
and economic benefits for society
from their use.
The essential purpose of a water
policy is to change water use
behavior. No matter what approach
is taken, policy ultimately intervenes
somewhere in the public and/or
private making decision process.
What is the existing water policy
in Malaysia?
In Malaysia, rivers were seen as
being resources that belonged to the
nation as a whole and were available
for common use by all citizens, but
which were, under the Federal
Constitution, controlled by the state
Governments. The water policy issues
and goals affecting water resources
development in Malaysia are well
recognised by the federal and state
Government. However, until today,
a separate and comprehensive
national water policy does not exist

in Malaysia.
Water policy
statements are found primarily in the
various legislations related to water
where policy statements often precede
the description of powers and duties
of various water resources agencies
and programmes. See Institutional
Arrangements for Water in Table 1.
Equally important, current and future
water sector policy and service
delivery environment in Malaysia are
also spelt out by the goals and
objectives of the National Outline
Perspective Plan and the five-year
Malaysia Plans.
Thus, the historic function of the
Public Works Department and/or the
State Water Supply Departments,
State Water Boards or Corporations,
the Department of Irrigation and
Drainage and the Department of the
Environment, among others, was to
meet the needs of those water users
which the Government wanted to
assist. Attention was focused
primarily on the development of
water sources, and, more recently, on
the maintenance of water quality to
meet the requirements of water users.
As Malaysia progresses to become
an industrialised nation, water
management in the future will be
more complex since it will no longer
be possible simply to meet the
demands of users or to ignore the
demands of any particular group.
Water management will focus instead
BULETIN INGENIEUR

44

on promoting the optimum use of

water. As pressure on the resource
grows, this will require that we give
as much attention to limiting water
use as to supplying it. We are also
required to be able to make water
available for new users without
harming the interests of existing users.
New approaches to water
management will be needed. These
will have to focus on the way in which
water is used (efficiency, effectiveness
and demand management) in each
user sector rather than simply on
predicting, planning and supplying its
water needs. It will also require a
systematic approach to resource
conservation, linked to the resource
protection policy which need to be
spelt out in the new water policy to
be formulated.
This focus on individual sectors
requires a framework for intervention
which, without trespassing on the
underlying autonomy of the user
sector, guides its water related
activities towards an optimum and
sustainable path and promotes a spirit
of resource conservation.
The key sectors include:
agriculture, (both irrigated and
rain-fed agriculture as well as
forestry) which is currently the
largest user of water although it
does not demand as high a
reliability as other sectors;
industry (including manufacturing
and power generation) users
whose total consumption is not so
great but whose requirements for
quality and reliability as well as
whose impact on quality through
land use and waste discharges
impose considerable pressures on
the resource;
domestic and municipal users,
whose water use and impact on
water quality is growing rapidly
due to the expansion of services
and the improvement of services
standards;

recreational and eco-tourism uses,

which are growing and have
high quality standards to protect
human health and sometimes
require large allocations as well
as controls to protect habitat in
the case of eco-tourism
development.

Looking Back: Malaysias Water

Policy Development Process
The policy process identifies,
defines and addresses issues at some
(or many) levels of Government;
solutions are then formulated, policy
decisions are made and they are
implemented.
Policy development process is
complex. It involves:
i. multiple layers of Government;
federal, state and local
ii. multiple arenas of Government;
legislative, judiciary and
executive
iii. pre-existing laws, institutions,
momentum, related policies
iv. complex, inter-related and
competing interests
v. uncertain
information;
inadequate time and funding to
collect data

Governments privatisation policy)

was made to Taliworks Consortium
for the operation and management
of the Semenyih water treatment
plant. Subsequent privatisation
followed down the years,
including the corporatisation and
privatisation of entire utilitys
water supply services on a statewide basis.
In 1990-1992, rising concerns
for the water supply situation in
some states led to the abortive
attempt to establish a National
Water Board, with legislative
changes to powers over water
supply.
In 1996 a study by the National
Economic Research Associates, the
consultants under the Economic
Planning Unit of the Prime
Ministers
Department
recommended the setting up of a
Sanitation Services Commission,
a National Water Council and also
a central regulator for water
supply, the National Water
Commission.

To appreciate the complexity of

adopting a national water policy, it
may be prudent and, perhaps,
educational to review where we have
been in the past 20 years or so.

In 1982, the National Water

Resources Study the first
comprehensive study of its kind
was conducted by JICA where
recommendations in regard to
the development of a National
Water Policy and a National Water
Council were made (besides for
staged investments in water
resources infrastructure to meeting
water demand requirements to
2000). A draft framework was
proposed and even though
some of the infrastructural
recommendations of JICA have
been implemented in the
intervening years, less emphasis
has been given to the
recommendations in respect of
water legislation, policy and
administration.
In 1987, the first water supply
privatisation
(under
the

In April 1998, at the height of

the water shortages due to the el
nino phenomena, particularly in the
Klang Valley, the National Water
Resources Council was established,
with the Prime Minister as
chairman.
In 1999-2000, a task force was
established at the Ministry of
Housing and Local Government to
look into the establishment of a
National Water and Sanitation
Commission to act as the central
regulator for water supply,
wastewater and solid waste.
In 2000, a new draft framework of
the National Water Policy by the
Ministry of Works (as the
Secretariat for the National Water
BULETIN INGENIEUR

45

Resources Council) was circulated

for comments by the various
Bovernment agencies responsible
for water.
In 2001, due to legislative
constraints, the Government
decided to have two separate
central commissions: one for water
(National Water Commission) and
another for sanitation (National
Sanitation Commission). The
Ministry of Works was given the
responsibility for the former and
the Ministry of Housing and Local
Government for the latter.
In 2001, the second National
Water Resources Study (20002050) was completed together with
a recommendation for a National
Water Policy to be adopted to
ensure the sustainable development
of the nations water resources in
the long term.
In 2002, the Ministry of Works
appointed the International Islamic
University to conduct further
studies and recommend the
establishment of the National
Water Commission which the
Government had decided to be set
up through administrative means.
The
Water
Supply
Branch of the Public Works
Department Headquarters is to form
the core of the new body. The
recommendation was put on hold
following new developments (see
following item).
In July 2003, the National Water
Resources Council met to discuss
the state of the nations water
supply and arrived at the decision
to transfer the responsibility
for water from the state
Governments to the federal
Government. The draft framework
of the National Water Policy was
also agreed to in principle by the
Council and details are to be
discussed further at the officers
level of Government agencies
responsible for water.
In 2003 to now, a main committee
and various sub-committees under
the Ministry of Works are
coordinating on-going discussions
on the takeover of water from the
state Governments and the
National Water Policy.

Even though one of the primary

natural resources of Malaysia is its

feature

feature

bountiful supply of surface and

groundwater, users have begun to
experience freshwater shortages and/
or supply depletion. We need to
recognise that the economic
development and well being of the
state is inextricably connected to the
use of freshwater from surface and
aquifer sources. The authorities and
the public need to realise that water
is a limited resource and that its
beneficial use must be regulated in an
equitable way when the demand
becomes as great as the supply. When
future studies indicate the need and
scope, it may be necessary to control
the use of water through appropriate
legislation.

Table 1

So, where are we?

I have to conclude we are basically
where we were in the 1980s. We lack
a legislatively-mandated national
water policy and water conservation
tools with which to manage one
ofour most important resources,
WATER.
Where are we going from here?
The last time we were considering
a national water policy for water
management for the country was in
the late 1980s. Frankly, I dont believe
we (policy makers, law makers, water
users, and the general public) can
afford to wait another 20 years.
It is without doubt that the country
need to quickly adopt a national water
policy and agree on the manner in
which the policy should be
administered, including its relationship
to the several state agencies presently
having responsibilities in the field of
water resources. BEM
REFERENCES
1. History of proposed water policies in
Lousiana by Zahir Bo Bolourchi, P.E.
Chief, Water Resources Section LA
DOTD
2. Why does South Africa need a new
water law, and one so different from
the old one? by Tami Sokutu, Deputy
Director General, Water Policy &
Resources, DWAF, S. Africa
3. White Paper on Water Policy: South
Africa April 30, 1997
4. National Water Resources Study:
2000 2050 (Prepared on March
2000)
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feature

Getting To Know The National

Sewerage Concessionaire
Series 1

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

ewerage management in Malaysia prior to 1993

was under the jurisdiction of local authorities.
The level of expertise and financial capabilities
for sewerage management varied widely between
local authorities nation-wide. Thus, the standard of sewerage
services was not consistent throughout the country.
In realizing the needs to upgrade the sanitation level in
the country, the Malaysian Government took a bold step in
federalising the management of the sewerage services in
the country. The Sewerage Services Act (SSA) was enacted
in 1993 to empower the Federal Government to regulate
the sewerage industry. The Department of Sewerage Services
(SSD) was formed under the Ministry of Housing and Local
Government (now under Ministry of Energy, Water and
Communications), as the regulator of the sewerage industry.
The SSA enabled the federalisation and privatisation of
Sewerage Services. A National Concession Company by
the name of Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd (IWK) was
formed in April 1994 to undertake the management of the
sewerage services throughout the country.
The target in terms of coverage of sewerage systems
under the concession was set as follows:
(a) for the larger local authorities, the percentage of
coverage for connected sewerage systems would reach
84.3%, with the remaining 15.7 % using individual
septic tanks;
(b) for the smaller local authorities, 29.5 % of the
population would be served by connected sewerage
systems, while the remainder 70.5% would use septic tanks
Category A Local Authorities-

11%
45%

Connected Services
Septic Tank
Others

44%

Beginning of Concession

15.7%
Connected Services
Septic Tank
84.3%

End of Concession

Category B Local Authorities

10%
Connected Services
Septic Tanks
52%

38%

Others

Beginning of Concession

29.5%
Connected Services
Septic Tank
70.5%

End of Concession

IWK is now 100% owned by Minister of Finance

Incorporated under the Ministry of Finance. To date, IWK
has taken over the management of sewerage services in
the local authority operational areas of the entire
Peninsular Malaysia with the exception of Majlis
Bandaraya Johor Bahru and Kelantan. IWK is responsible
to operate and maintain public sewerage systems in these
areas, as well as planning and manage the implementation
of national sewerage projects. IWK also assists the
Government in controlling sewerage systems built by
developers via approval and certification process.
The current Institutional framework of sewerage
management in federalised areas of West Malaysia is
depicted in Figure 1.
As at April 2004, IWK operates and maintains over
13,000km of sewer network, 7,500 sewage treatment plants
and 400 network pumping stations as well as provide
scheduled desludging services to over 350,000 individual
septic tank customers.
Since privatisation, the country benefited as treatment
plants taken over were refurbished to comply to design
intent, the implementation of capital works for large
sewerage infrastructure were taken aboard, proper
sewerage planning and certification works were initiated
for long term sustainability, environmental concerns were
taken seriously and improved methods on Operation
and Maintenance of Sewage Treatment Plants were
introduced.

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feature
Federal
Government

Ministry of Housing and Local

Government (now under Ministry of
Energy, Water and Communications)

Ministry of Finance
(MoF)
100 % equity

Sewerage Services
Department (JPP)
Regulator under
concession agreement

Indah Water
Konsortium (IWK)

Concessionaire for the

provision of Sewerage
Services

Control of National
Sewerage Development Policy

Development & Control of

National Sewerage
Infrastructure Works and
Services

Figure 1: Institutional framework of sewerage management in Malaysia

ASSET PROFILE
Among the assets managed by IWK include various types and sizes of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), which
engage a wide range of technologies.
The sewage treatment plants can be classified as follows

Type 1
Communal septic tanks
And Imhoff Tanks

60% of Total STPs

9% of Population Served

Type 2
Oxidation ponds

7% of Total STPs
18% of Population Served

Type 3
Aerated Lagoon

2% of Total STPs
15% of Population Served

Type 4
Mechanical Plants

31% of Total STPs

58% of Population Served

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feature

Apart from STPs, IWK also operates approximately 400

network pumping stations ranging from capacity as low
as 100 PE to the largest PE of 450,000 (ultimate capacity),
which is Kuyoh Pump station in Puchong. IWK also
operates dedicated sludge treatment facilities throughout
the country ranging from simple trenching, sludge lagoons
and drying beds to a more sophisticated treatment facilities
such as dewatering facilities and digestors.

The following are some of the operating statistics

relating to current IWK operations:
Resources
Staffing
Vehicles (tankers, lorries, vans)
Central Laboratory facilities
No. of samples /year
Response to complaints:

IWKS KEY BUSINESS FUNCTIONS

Current status
2,050 staff
500
3
35,00
> 90 % within 24 hours
95 % within 48 hours

Over the past 10 years of operating the public sewerage

system in Peninsular Malaysia, IWK has built up a
comprehensive organisation with expertise and capabilities
in the whole range of activities involved in Sewerage
Management. This includes Planning, Certification
Services, Engineering, Operation and Maintenance,
Refurbishment, Project Management, and various other
support services.
Operation & Maintenance
As often stated, the real work of sewage works starts
when the construction of facilities is finished. Among the
range of capabilities relating to operation and maintenance
of 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

Refurbishment
Indah Water Konsortium also carries out refurbishment
of plants taken over for operation and maintenance. This
applies to all plants taken over in block from local authorities
at the time of privatisation of sewerage services, those left
over plants approved by local authorities and taken over
subsequently. Refurbishment is intended to improve existing
sewage treatment plants to meet the intended design
performance.
Refurbishment programme will include activities to
repair/replace equipment, improve safety and operability
to substantially reduce occupational health and safety
risks, improve working conditions for plant personnel,
address defects and further improve the reliability of plant
operations.
Shown below are categories involved for
Refurbishment of STPs and Sewer Network.

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

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)

(d) Laboratory
Monitoring of Effluent Quality for all public
Sewage Treatment Plants

Refurbishment of Sewer network:

(a) CCTV investigations
(b) Rehabilitation

(b) Sewer networks

Clearing of blockages, cleaning, desilting and
Repair of sewers.
Manhole cleaning
High pressure jetting

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Refurbishment
Works

Replacement

Works

Concession & Backlog

Works

Compliance

Works

Fully Integrated
Centralised Sewerage
System

Private
Plants

Sludge Treatment Works

Developer
New Plants

Developer Services Section has been officially

Accredited by UKAS under ISO 9001:2000 effective
December 17, 2002, for Provision of Certification Services
in Reviewing Sewerage Development Submission for the
Malaysian Government (Certificate No: 15507).
Engineering and Project Management Services
This unit offers a broad range of engineering works,
which consists of survey works up to detailed process
design 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 RM1000
million and the amount of works completed to date is
RM 700 million
(c) Managed engineering consultants for the above works.
(d) Managed full range of project management activities
from conceptual design, EIA, procurement of
consultancy and construction contract up to testing
and commissioning.
(e) Ensures high quality health, safety and environment
practice in design and construction practices.

IWK
Plants

Over 90 catchment strategies have been completed to

date.
Developer services provide consultancy service to the
Government (JPP) by processing and vetting all
submissions of development proposals by private
developers, and recommending approvals to JPP.
Inspection of works up to final inspection and handover
is 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 Development

The evolution and development of the Malaysian
sewerage industry depended on foreign technologies. The
main sources of these technologies are from the developed
nations especially from the USA, Europe and Japan. There
is a need for local research and development to come up
with locally developed treatment technology and locally
developed equipment, to ensure appropriate and fit for
purpose technologies are being utilised in the Malaysian
content.
The design parameters used in Malaysia are based on
findings and development in the developed countries. As
the nature of sewage, climate and micro-organisms differ

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feature

Planning and Developer Services

IWK offers Planning Services, and has prepared
Sewerage Catchment Strategies covering all major urban
and growth areas of the country where federalisation has
taken effect. These guides development of new sewerage
infrastructure by the Government as well as private sector
development, and also identification of land required
for 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

feature

from most developed nations, there is a need for local

research to develop local design parameters based on local
conditions and local sewage characteristics appropriate for
local applications.
One of the ways for Malaysia to be able to develop its
own technological advancement is to extensively embark
upon research and development in the sewerage industry.
Only through research and development, can the technology,
skills and knowledge be developed and enhanced. The
development outputs will be very relevant to many other
countries of the world with similar climate conditions.

Before the privatisation, research and

development works on sewerage related issues are
being carried out on case to case basis. One of the
thrusts of privatisation is to initiate a more focused
research and development effort in the sewerage
industry.
Collaborative research and development has been
carried out between the National Sewerage
Concessionaire (IWK) and local university (UTM) on
topics related to treatment technology and design
criteria. Areas of research include:

Computer and data

logger was use to
monitor daily flow
rates

Determination of Per Capita Load And Water

Consumption in Sewage Treatment Design

Inflow and Infiltration in Sewage Systems

Saturated condition
at laboratory

Magnetic Technology Assessing Sedimentation of

Particles in Sewage

Series of permanent
magnets for single
and circulated
magnetic treatment

Application of Bio-Chemical Product in Assisting/

Improving Treatment Performance Capability of Sewage
Treatment Plant (STP)

Water sampling for

laboratory Analysis
at Taman desa
Skudai OP

Cost Effective Methods Upgrading Municipal

Wastewater Stabilisation Ponds

Front view of Baffle

System

The Self-Purification Capability of Malaysian Rivers and

Sewerage Loading-Purify or Pollute

location of Sungai
Skudai Water Quality
Sampling Station

Sewage Effluent Reuse Potential Application In

Malaysia

BULETIN INGENIEUR

successful
application of
sewage effluent for
landscaping in UTM

52

A closer look at hand-moulded clay bricks amended

with different proportions of sludge

Environmental issues, including effluent standards,

HAZOP, biological standards.
Septic tanks, including improvement in design, and
its performance.
Refurbishment, including Imhoff Tanks and Communal
Septic Tanks conversion, Biosoil upgrades and
Oxidation Ponds upgrades.
Effluent recycling, including its application in
industries, agriculture and landscaping.
Industrial wastewater, potential discharges into public
sewerage systems and tariff.
Materials, including studies on corrosion, equipment
selection and materials selection.
Community issues, including sewerage charges, billing,
financing and public awareness.
Accreditation and Training
This unit develops training facilities to the waste
water/sewerage industry. It creates appropriate guidelines
to develop and prepare a comprehensive technical training
programme. The Training programmes will provide
a broad-based, global understanding of sewerage
system management, as well as operations and
maintenance. The scope for training includes developing
Technical Training Modules, grading systems for technical
personnel,
establishing
Technical
Skill Training Center, providing an effective voice on the
syllabus for the sewerage industry and having the capacity
to implement agreed code of practice and standards.

Fertilizer
Support Services
Besides 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
Co-composting

Sludge Lagoons

Forestry

Other potential areas of research and development

areas 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.

THE FUTURE OF THE NATIONAL SEWERAGE

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
IWK will formulate the Sewerage Development Plan (SDP)
which is the development strategy to improve the sewerage
infrastructure in the country. The SDP is formulated in order
to recommend efficient disbursement of capital funds in
accordance to the sewerage needs. This plan consists of
definition of each target to be fulfilled by the end of the
planned time starting from 2004 up to 2035. The target at
the end of the planned period, namely in 2035, is to serve
80% of the population with connected services.
A total number of 292 urban areas, in 81 districts, were
selected for incorporation in the proposed SDP. The SDP
addresses an urban population and population equivalent
base of 13,421,824 and 16,543,431 at year 2002 and
27,541,419 and 38,398,482 at year 2035 respectively. The
strategy is to meet operational objectives in the short term,
environmental improvement and improved service
efficiencies and social needs in the long term. BEM

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feature

Collaborative research and development has also been

carried out between the National Sewerage Concession
and local university (UPM) on topics related to sludge
management 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

engineering nostalgia

That which was...

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