Malaysia has found a huge underground water cave the size of Singapore, that could help alleviate an anticipated shortage in its most developed state, a government official said Tuesday. The aquifer was discovered recently in Perak state and could be exploited for use in two years, said an official with the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry, who declined to be named because he is not authorized to make public statements. «The cavern is the size of Singapore. It will help overcome any problems of water shortage in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor state,» the official told The Associated Press. Perak is located just north of central Selangor state, which wraps around the country's biggest city Kuala Lumpur and is a major industry hub. The discovery will be a major boost to Selangor amid concerns that taps could run dry in the long-run due to high population growth, polluted river basins and rapid industrialization, the official said. No further details were immediately available. Energy, Water and Communications Minister Lim Keng Yaik was quoted by national Bernama news agency as saying Tuesday that the government will open tender next month for a 3.8 billion ringgit (US$1.1 billion; ¤0.81 billion) project to transfer water from Pahang state to Selangor. The project, which involves building a dam and a 45 kilometer-long water pipe that cuts through a mountain range, is expected to begin early 2008 and completed in five years, Lim said in the report. Ministry officials confirmed Lim's comments but couldn't provide further details.
