The forum found that there was a need to establish a collaborative effort by all stakeholders to ensure water is used in a sustainable manner by all. The forum also found that Malaysia faired poorly compared to other countries and the developed world in terms of water conservation.

The Malaysia Water Industry Guide 2009 reported that water wastage in the country came to 37% of the total water used in 2008. According to the report, most of the water wastage was caused by leakages from burst pipes, stolen and improper use of water and excessive water consumption in the public sector.

At the forum, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) country head, Jennifer Lopez, was reported to have said that Malaysians in general were a wasteful when it came to water usage.

It was found at the forum that Nestle (M) Bhd was one of the few companies in the country that has water conservation practices in its business operations. Nestle executive director, Detlef Krost, said, “In Malaysia where we have been operating over the past 10 years, our business has grown by 60% to 70%, while our water wastage has decreased by the same percentage.”

Organisers of the forum included the ACCA, the Institute of Corporate Responsibility Malaysia and the Malaysia Water Association.