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WATER resource systems in northern Malaysia remain functional but face increasing strain as prolonged dry weather pushes key reservoirs towards dangerously low levels, experts and local authorities warn.
While officials maintain that there is no immediate national-level water bankruptcy, the situation in Kedah and neighbouring regions highlights escalating regional risk, with agriculture and domestic supply under pressure.
Director of the Disaster Management Institute at Universiti Utara Malaysia and climate disaster and water resources management expert Dr Chong Khai Lin cautioned that the water supply network supporting Penang, Perlis and parts of Perak is operating with a shrinking margin for error.
Dr Chong noted that Malaysia as a whole is not facing national water bankruptcy, echoing Deputy Prime Minister II Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, but added this assurance should not obscure emerging risks, particularly in the north.
Dr Chong described the current conditions in Kedah as “clear water stress” resulting from extended hot and dry spells, exacerbated by ongoing demand from agriculture, households and industry.
She pointed to Muda Dam’s critically low storage as a primary concern, although Pedu and Ahning dams continue to offer some operational buffer.
“The system is not in a comfortable state,” she said. “It is functioning, but under pressure, with a reduced margin for error if dry conditions persist.”
According to open-source data from the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada), Muda Dam holds just 10,050 acre-feet of water, or 8.04 per cent of capacity, while Pedu Dam is at 39.89 per cent and Ahning Dam at 54.30 per cent. Combined, the three reservoirs are at 39.26 per cent capacity.
Dr Chong stressed that while the three‑dam system can manage current conditions if carefully coordinated, relying solely on storage capacity will not be sustainable in the long term.
“Water security in northern Malaysia will increasingly depend on how well the system adapts to changing climate patterns, rising demand and rainfall variability,” she said.
She emphasised the importance of establishing clear drought operating rules, using real‑time data and forecasting for coordinated reservoir management, and improving basin‑level cooperation across agricultural, domestic and industrial sectors.
She also highlighted efforts to reduce non‑revenue water, protect catchment areas and promote efficient water use, and underscored the need for effective risk communication to encourage early conservation practices.
In Sik, Kedah, the critically low water level at Muda Dam has prompted concern from Mada chairman Datuk Dr Ismail Salleh, who explained that the dam plays an essential role in collecting water before it is released to Pedu Dam for irrigation of the Muda agricultural area.
After months of drought, water storage at Muda Dam has fallen to around 8 per cent, he said, and the combined capacity of the three dams around 39 per cent.
“At this level, if water is released, we recommend it be used only for domestic water treatment plants,” he said in a video posted to his official TikTok account.
He warned that the situation directly affects irrigation water supply for paddy fields.
Mada plans to meet to discuss the approaching 1/2026 planting season, with current storage levels making it difficult to release water and prompting consideration of dry seeding methods if rainfall does not occur.
Dr Ismail noted that efforts such as special prayers for rain and cloud‑seeding operations have so far not yielded results and appealed for continued efforts and prayers for rainfall.
Elsewhere in Sabah, residents of Sebatik Island are facing a separate water crisis as the main reservoir approaches critically low levels. According to Kalabakan Member of Parliament Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryadi Bandy, the water level at Wallace Bay reservoir has fallen to under one metre.
Authorities from the Sabah Water Department have introduced water rationing to prolong supplies, and tanker deliveries have been in place since 24 March.
“If rationing is not implemented, the clean water supply on Sebatik Island is expected to last only about eight days,” he told state broadcaster RTM.
He called on the state government to urgently provide additional portable water purification plants, tube wells at strategic locations, and upgrades to water treatment infrastructure to ensure more stable long‑term supplies.
Residents described severe difficulties in obtaining clean water for daily needs, with some forced to purchase bottled water or travel to the mainland.
Water treatment plant operations have been reduced to 0.3 million litres per day, down from 1.5 million litres, cutting treated water supply by around 80 per cent. Affected areas include Wallace Bay Village, Kampung Mentadak, Sungai Tamang and Sungai Tongkang.
Water distribution efforts by tanker trucks and community committees continue, but locals say more support is urgently needed. - March 26, 2026
