KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore-based company Wateroam Pte Ltd eyes Malaysian partners to scale its portable water filter operations in Malaysia to increase its capacity by fivefold in 2024, underpinned by global demand to address clean water scarcity.
According to co-founder and chief marketing officer Lim Chong Tee, it will consider setting up an office in Malaysia due to the close proximity, albeit provided it finds the right partner.
“We have partners and distributors in Malaysia who are so-called stewards and ambassadors helping us to deliver these solutions to people who are looking for them.
“It’s definitely something that we will also consider, given that we are so close in proximity, but the ability to localise our resources will also help us to amplify our impact further in these areas. Currently, we haven’t found the right party or the right scale of operation that will require us (to set up an office) which is why we are working this through partners,” he told SunBiz, adding that while it does not have a specific timeline, having a greater presence in Malaysia will help it be “better stewards for water resources” in the region.
Furthermore, he said that there is a global demand for environmental solutions driven by non-governmental organisations and relief organisations to serve disaster stricken communities affected by natural calamities caused by climate change and human conflicts.
He pointed out that various global political tensions have unsettled a large number of refugees and internally displaced persons, who have escaped from conflicts within their country. Morever, environmental factors stemming from climate change have displaced certain rural communities.
He declined to share client details albeit he said that most are from Southeast Asian and international organisations.
Lim added that Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines as well as South Asian nations like Pakistan and India are increasingly facing pressures from climate change.
Traditionally, the social enterprise works with international organisations like the National Auxiliary government bodies of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies as well as organisations like Sea Mercy, World Vision, Mercy Relief and so on.
He added that usually, its clients would compare their company’s solutions with existing solutions and based on the characteristics and qualities of their filters or solutions, make a decision on the right tools to procure.
“Wateroam value adds by offering water sanitation and hygiene consultancy as well as advisory to aid these organisations,” he added.
Meanwhile, Lim said that it plans to expand its portable water filter products’ capacity to 10,000 units in 2024 compared with 2,000 this year, due to global factors which have “driven the demand for solutions” in the market.
Currently, it has a manufacturing plant in Batam, Indonesia, and is in talks to build a second plant in Jakarta next year, which it reckoned will produce the bulk of its future products.
“The current capacity (in Batam) is like 1,000 to 2,000 units a year but it can be scaled up further. But we are looking at areas where we can do parallel production. Its not just one production line, we are looking at possibly having multiple production lines around the region.
He added that it projects for the proposed Jakarta plant to produce more capacity compared with its Batam plant, with a production of 60% for Jakarta and 40% for Batam.
