KUALA LUMPUR: Japan's leading role in the construction of the multi-billion ringgit raw water tunnel project from Pahang to Selangor has won praise from Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Dr Xavier Jayakumar.
Not only did two Japanese companies provide the state-of-the-art tunnel boring technologies for the 44.6km long tunnel - deemed Southeast Asia's longest water tunnel - Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) topped it up with soft loans worth 82 billion yen (about RM3 billion) payable over 40 years for the project.
“I thank the Japanese government. Japanese technology helped us through JICA and its funding as well in order to do this with local construction companies. Now, we are bringing water across and this is a good working relationship between Japan and Malaysia as far as the water industry is concerned,” Jayakumar told Bernama in conjunction with the official handing over of the operation of the Stream B of the Langat 2 water treatment plant in Hulu Langat on Tuesday.
The federal government has allocated RM4.2 billion for the construction of the Langat 2 plant that will be able to supply 1,130 million litres per day (MLD) to nearly two million people in the Klang Valley upon its full completion in 2023.
The Stream B of Langat 2 that was completed recently is ready to supply 565 MLD to almost 900,000 people in Hulu Langat, Cheras, Bangi, Semenyih and Pudu areas.
Jayakumar said with the successful completion of the tunnel, his ministry is now planning similar projects in other areas especially in bringing water from a distance into needed areas.
“So, with this agreement with the Japanese government and the amount agreed to, all is settled and now the water is flowing across. This is good cooperation between two countries using agencies of government and the private sector in order to make it happen,” he said.
The minister said there was always the process of learning for Malaysians from the Japanese, adding that Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad too, has continued to look towards Japan for new technologies and new ways of doing things as well as their work ethics and business culture.
He said Japan had also offered about 10 to 15 Malaysian officers to go to Japan to learn about how they manage their underground water systems in line with Malaysia's own plans to tap underground water.
“So, we are going to send these officers to Japan for six months or a year. That has been agreed upon and we will soon send our officers there to study how they do it,” Jayakumar said.
Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Hiroshi Oka, who was also present at the handing over ceremony at the Langat 2 plant, congratulated the government and people of Malaysia for the completion of the project to enhance the quality and spread of water.
“The significance of the project is better understood when you bring raw water from Pahang state to the Langat 2 plant. So, in cooperation with the Malaysian government, the Japanese government with the support of JICA, constructed firstly a dam and also the very long water tunnel to this Langat 2 plant.
“Actually, this water tunnel is the longest in ASEAN countries. In that sense, this is very remarkable and we are happy to be part of this project,” Oka said.
Meanwhile, JICA Chief Representative in Malaysia Fukawa Kensuke said the project symbolised Japan’s pursuit of implementing quality infrastructure projects to improve the lives of Malaysians in all fields.
Two Japanese companies - Shimizu and Nishimatsu - were involved in the tunnel construction while another company, Hazama, in the pumping station.
"The immediate beneficiaries are the people, not only the households but the industries, companies and factories as well as as the agricultural producers. It will give enormous benefits to the Malaysian people,” he said. -- BERNAMA