KUCHING (July 15): Sarawak is positioning itself to become Asean’s regional water supply hub by treating and exporting purified river water as a new economic commodity once it achieves its domestic water supply targets by 2030.

Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state plans to leverage advanced water purification technologies to harness its abundant river resources and transform surplus freshwater into a valuable export for neighbouring countries facing water shortages.

He said while producing freshwater from seawater through reverse osmosis remains costly for many countries, Sarawak could provide a more economical alternative through the supply of treated river water.

“We have many rivers, and without proper management, it is a waste of water.

“With the latest technology, we can dedicate specific rivers for treatment plants exclusively for export, sharing this natural blessing with countries in need,” he told a press conference after officiating the opening of the Borneo International Water and Wastewater Exhibition and Conference (BIWWEC) 2026 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).

Abang Johari, however, stressed that meeting the needs of Sarawakians remains the state’s immediate priority.

He said Sarawak is aggressively expanding its water infrastructure to achieve 100 per cent statewide water supply coverage by 2030.

“After 2030, once our domestic plans are fully realised, our next move is to export. We are already in negotiations with certain countries, though I cannot disclose details at the moment,” he said.

To improve the efficiency of the state’s water distribution system, Abang Johari said the Sarawak government has allocated more than RM1 billion from its own funds for a comprehensive pipe replacement programme aimed at reducing non-revenue water (NRW) caused by ageing pipelines.

Earlier in his officiating speech, he said that just as Sarawak exports renewable energy to neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei, as well as Peninsular Malaysia, water could become the state’s next strategic export.

“Sarawak is blessed with so many rivers. We have a reservoir of water, and Sarawak is now treating water as a new commodity.

“Just as we are sharing our energy with our neighbours in Indonesia, Singapore, Peninsular Malaysia and Brunei, after completing our state water grid that will cover the whole of Sarawak, our next move is to use technology to purify water from our rivers and turn it into an export commodity.

“We will share our water with countries that don’t have water,” he said.

He also highlighted the growing importance of water in industrial development, particularly in supporting the artificial intelligence (AI) economy, where large volumes of water are required for cooling data centres.

“It is Sarawak’s ambition not only to become a hub for energy, but also a hub for water supply that will drive the economy, at least for the Asean region. That is where our future is,” he said.

Abang Johari said Sarawak’s long-term water security strategy includes consolidating its three existing water supply agencies into a single entity, Sarawak Water Sdn Bhd, to improve operational efficiency and service delivery.

Under the Sarawak Water Supply Master Plan and Water Grid, the state is laying approximately 2,800km of pipelines while upgrading 21 anchor water treatment plants.

For remote and isolated communities, he said the Sarawak Alternative Water Supply System (Sawas) will continue to be deployed to ensure access to clean water.

He also underscored water’s critical role in Sarawak’s green energy transition, noting that it is an essential resource in the production of clean hydrogen fuel.

Also present were Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian; State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar; State Utility and Telecommunication Minister Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi; and State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki.