Water From Taps in Malaysia is Clean and Safe For Drinking, Minister Says

Generally, every household has at least one water filter system and that’s due to the fact that Malaysians don’t have much faith in the cleanliness of tap water. However, our Minister of Water, Land and Natural Resources begs to differ.

Source: the star

Earlier today (17 October), Dr Xavier Jayakumar clarified in the Dewan Rakyat that tap water in our country is actually safe for consumption, according to The Star.

“Water that comes from the taps throughout the country can be drunk and there are no problems. If there are problems, they are localised and not because of the treatment,” he said.

In fact, when asked whether he drank water directly from the tap, Dr Xavier replied, “Indeed I drink directly from the tap.” 

Many Malaysians were sceptical about this ‘refreshing’ statement as many have opened water taps only to receive milky or even brownish water at times. To be fair, the treatment plants are not to be blamed.

Source: the star

Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Jamil Maah from Universiti Malaya’s Faculty of Science firmly believes that the water treatment plants are doing a great job in producing clean water and it’s the pipes delivering the water that are problematic.

“The pipe from the source can be several kilometres long. Sometimes, the water may be stagnant at certain spots, so there might be sand or moss there, which can be carried along by the water,” the professor said. 

Having said that, you can always boil tap water first to kill off any microorganism if that gives you a peace of mind.

Would you drink water straight out of the tap? Let us know in the comments! 

Also read: Singaporeans Find Out Bottled Water Sourced From Malaysian Tap, Become Outraged