Selangor denies giving Langat 2 green light

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 – The Selangor government has denied giving Putrajaya the go-ahead for the Langat 2 water treatment plant as claimed by Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin.

State government sources revealed that Selangor, in its December 8 meeting with the ministry, had only agreed to study the “critical path” for both Langat 2 and Pahang-Selangor water transfer projects before making a decision this month.

The Critical Path Method, developed in the 1950s, is an important tool in project management for scheduling project activities.

“It seems Peter Chin has either jumped the gun or is trying to force our hand,” one source told The Malaysian Insider.

Another source said it was “quite clear” no approval had been given to the ministry, adding that the state government would make a decision on Langat 2 by the end of the month once Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim (picture) has finished studying the ministry’s reports.

Chin said earlier today that the Selangor government had promised in December to allow the federal government to build Langat 2, which is part of the Pahang-Selangor water transfer project.

He said his ministry would tender out the project by February at the latest despite not receiving written approval from the state, which was expected sometime this month.

“Although we are seven months late, the state government’s latest decision means that we can proceed... The approval means the last hurdle has been removed,” he told reporters in Putrajaya earlier today.

The RM8.65 billion water transfer project must be completed by 2014 to ensure adequate water supply for residents in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, Chin added.

Khalid, however, has argued that there was no rush to complete the Pahang-Selangor transfer as the state has enough water to fulfill residents’ needs until 2019.

He also stressed that priority should be given to consolidating Selangor’s water players and not the Langat 2 project, calling for both issues to be discussed jointly.

Chin warned the Selangor government last year it risked legal action by delaying construction of the water treatment plant, which had been scheduled to begin in August last year.

Both state and federal governments have been locked in a struggle over water assets in Selangor since Pakatan Rakyat (PR) took control of the state in 2008, with neither side wanting to give the other control over the critical industry. - Malaysian Insider