BATU GAJAH: Tap water must be boiled first before it can be consumed, says Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye.
In saying this, he stated that treated tap water is supplied through pipes, of which some of them could be old and rusty.
"Tap water processed at water treatment plants can be consumed directly because it meets the standards set.
"However when it is channeled through pipes that are kilometres in length before it reaches our homes, we no longer know if it is safe for (direct) consumption," he told reporters after attending a programme at Kampung Baru MTD, here, today.
With regard to that, Dr Lee said it is better for consumers to not drink tap water directly, but to boil it first.
He was commenting on Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar who recently gave his assurance in Parliament that Water that comes out of water treatment plants throughout Malaysia is 100 percent safe to drink straight from the tap.
Yesterday, the National Water Service Commission (SPAN) confirmed that the country's water supply is not only clean and safe to consume directly but also free from E. coli bacteria.