Johor Bahru, 8 May 2026 – Export-Import Bank of Malaysia Berhad has strengthened its sustainability and community development agenda through the deployment of a solar-powered water purification system for the Orang Seletar community at Kampung Orang Asli Pasir Salam, Sungai Ayer Tawar, Johor.
The initiative is expected to benefit an underserved indigenous community of approximately 250 residents and supports the MADANI Economic Framework’s focus on inclusive, people-centric development. EXIM Bank, a subsidiary of Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Berhad Group, said the project reflects its commitment to delivering lasting community impact beyond its financing mandate.
EXIM Bank’s Southern Regional Office, located about 38 kilometres from the village, played an instrumental role in driving the initiative. The project demonstrates how financial institutions can contribute to national sustainability goals not only through financing, but also through practical community infrastructure.
Zakiah Mat Esa, Chief Sustainability Officer of BPMB Group, said practical and scalable solutions can deliver meaningful outcomes while strengthening grassroots resilience. She said sustainable development must be inclusive and extend beyond the financial sector.
“By improving access to clean water for the Orang Asli Seletar community, we are translating our sustainability commitment into measurable outcomes on the ground,” she said, adding that the initiative also supports Bank Negara Malaysia’s Performance Measurement Framework through stronger social and developmental outcomes.
The initiative was implemented in collaboration with FCubed (Asia) Sdn Bhd and technology partner TierraBlue. It supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation, the Twelfth Malaysia Plan and national priorities focused on environmental stewardship, social equity and underserved community upliftment.
Kampung Orang Asli Pasir Salam is home to the Orang Seletar community, one of Malaysia’s 18 Orang Asli sub-ethnic groups and part of the indigenous Proto-Malay population. The community has longstanding ties to Johor’s coastal and mangrove ecosystem, but limited access to clean water and essential services has remained a persistent challenge.
At the centre of the project is the Cubed Carocell 3000 Solar Water Farm, a fully solar-powered purification system that operates without electricity, chemicals or filter replacements. The installation of five panels is capable of producing at least 50 litres of clean drinking water daily, enough to serve approximately 40 to 50 residents.
The system is designed for long-term reliability and can purify water from multiple sources, including rivers, ponds, wells and seawater. With an operational lifespan exceeding 10 years and minimal maintenance needs, the solution offers a practical model for rural, coastal and underserved communities where conventional infrastructure may be limited or costly to deploy.
Beyond addressing immediate water accessibility needs, the project also provides a scalable model for future collaboration with strategic partners and stakeholders. For EXIM Bank and BPMB Group, the deployment reinforces a broader role in sustainable nation-building, community resilience and inclusive socioeconomic progress.
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EXIM Bank’s clean water initiative shows how sustainability can create direct impact when it is designed around real community needs. For the Orang Seletar community, access to clean water is not only an environmental issue, but also a matter of health, dignity and long-term resilience.
The use of solar-powered purification technology is especially meaningful because it reduces dependence on grid electricity, chemicals and complex maintenance. This makes the solution more suitable for rural and underserved communities where infrastructure gaps remain a persistent challenge.
For Malaysia’s sustainability agenda, the project reflects the importance of practical inclusion. National frameworks such as MADANI, the Twelfth Malaysia Plan and SDG 6 can only deliver real value when they translate into measurable improvements for communities on the ground.
The bigger message is that development finance institutions can play a broader role beyond trade finance and export support. By backing clean water access and scalable green technology, EXIM Bank is contributing to a more inclusive and resilient model of national sustainability.
