GEORGE TOWN, July 21 — The Penang government will set up an independent panel comprising experts in the fields of engineering and water catchment management, to identify the factors behind the recent water supply disruptions in the state.

State Infrastructure and Transport Committee chairman, Zairil Khir Johari said the panel would discuss, examine and study all information in the "post-mortem” report that had been prepared by Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP).

"The Penang state executive council (MMK) meeting, held yesterday, received the post-mortem report from PBAPP on the water supply disruptions that took place from July 6 to 11. We have decided to set up an independent panel to carry out several important tasks.

"Apart from this, the panel’s role is to give the state government its recommendations on the steps needed to be taken to avoid further occurrence of a water crisis, in addition to identifying the weaknesses and parties responsible for the problem.

"After further discussions, the state government has also instructed PBAPP to further improve the report with more in-depth details.

"The panel will also propose short, medium and long-term measures to solve the water crisis,” he said in a statement today.

According to Zairil, the members of the independent review panel will be finalised and announced soon and the panel be given two to three months to conclude their findings.

Prior to this, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow reportedly said that the state government had urged PBAPP to conduct a post-mortem immediately with regard to the six-day water supply disruption in the state to avoid a similar incident in the future.

The disruption problem followed the temporary closure of the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant due to the unusually high turbidity of raw water from Sungai Muda following the floods in Baling, resulting in 80 per cent or 528,000 of the 660,000 account holders across the state, having their water supply cut off. — Bernama