Pakatan: Syabas in political conspiracy with BN

People gather outside Wisma Rozali in Shah Alam on July 23, 2012 to protest against Syabas’ proposed water rationing plan. — Picture by Choo Choy May

SHAH ALAM, July 23 — A group of 200 protesters led by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers demonstrated today against Syabas’ proposed water rationing plan, accusing the state water concessionaire of “political sabotage” ahead of the coming general election.

The protesters, who included members of civil society groups, claimed that Syabas’ purported refusal to hand over its operations to the Selangor PR government could turn into a security issue in the country’s richest state.

“I am confident that we all know this entire issue has been politicised. It has been used to create a sense of dissatisfaction with the PR state government,” Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad (picture) said in his speech during the protest outside Wisma Rozali here.

He pointed out that although Selangor’s seven dams were overflowing with raw water, Syabas’ inefficiency in handling water treatment operations had caused the reported water shortage.

The PAS leader repeated the state’s objection to the federal government’s plans to construct the multibillion ringgit Langat 2 treatment plant, warning that this would result in a hike in Selangor’s water tariffs.

“We reject the Langat 2 project... it will merely squander taxpayers’ funds to fill Umno’s election war chest,” he said.

The protesters later handed over five memorandums to Syabas executive director Ismail Hashim, demanding the water concessionaire call off its water rationing plan and surrender its operations to the Selangor government.

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