Malaysian states face water crisis

Malaysian states face water crisis

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Two Malaysian states are likely to exhaust their water resources by 2000 and shortages are expected to reach crisis point in 2010, a newspaper reported yesterday.

The Sun also quoted Nature Society president Salleh Mohamad Nor as saying that Singapore, which depends on Malaysia for part of its water needs, would have developed all available catchment areas by the end of the century.

Salleh said the two states affected were Selangor, which includes Kuala Lumpur and neighboring cities, and the adjacent state of Negri Sembilan.

Plans to bring in water from the neighboring state of Pahang may not be easy due to its rapid industrialization and diminishing catchment areas, he said.