The Commercial and Economic Counsellor of the Danish Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Steen Hommel, does not hesitate in describing the recently held Malaysian-Danish Water Days seminar as a success.
“The seminar gave the ten participating Danish companies a unique chance to present their products, know-how and technology to the 70 local participants within the water sector. The presentations resulted in 45 one-on-one meetings between Danish companies and Malaysian participants, and that is a very good result,” Steen Hommel says.
According to Steen Hommel it is still to early to say, how much business will come out of the meetings and presentations.
“The seminar last year resulted in one contract and more are to come. Right now the Malaysian Parliament are discussing two new fundamental law proposals concerning the water sector, so the timing of the seminar could not be better, so hopefully the seminar will result in a lot of business between Danish and Malaysian companies,” Steen Hommel says.
One of the points of discussion at the seminar was the problem of Non-Revenue Water (NRW). Non-Revenue Water is the water lost on the way to the consumers, and according to Steen Hommel Danish companies can document that Danish products and know-how can reduce the problem.
“In Malaysia about 37 per cent of all water gets lost on the way to the consumers due to leaks etc. In Denmark the number is 7 per cent. That is a significant difference and lowering the percentage of NRW is very important economically and from an environmental perspective, as lowering the percentage of NRW will help solve the water shortage in Malaysia,” Steen Hommel says.
At the seminar the Minister of Energy, Water and Communications Y.B. Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik held a speech regarding the challenges the Malaysian water sector is facing and the Malaysian need for a lot of the competences Danish companies can provide.
