In PKR, concerns about MB’s tack on Selangor water woes

Khalid was seen as not taking the necessary precautionary measures to pre-empt the anticipated sabotage, said the source. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 ― The Selangor mentri besar was asked on Wednesday to be faster and more proactive in solving the state’s water supply problems, amid predictions by PKR members that large-scale sabotage will be carried out in the Election 2013, a source from the party has said.

According to the source, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is expected to use the issue to attack Selangor’s Pakatan Rakyat (PR) administration led by Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

The PKR political bureau member told The Malaysian Insider that discussions in meetings attended by Khalid were related to the water crisis and on the RM120 million financial aid for Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (SYABAS) announced by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak recently.

“Last night MB Abdul Khalid was also present, so, many matters that were discussed last night involves the water crisis in Selangor.

“This water issue will be the main modal (capital) for Umno and Barisan Nasional in its campaign in Selangor. Najib’s recent move in announcing financial aid clearly shows this water issue will be played by them until elections,” the source said.

The source said Khalid was viewed as being reactive and sluggish in tackling the water crisis in Selangor, providing an easy opportunity for the mainstream media to attack the PR administration of the wealthiest state in the country.

“A few initiatives were discussed so MB takes a more proactive and faster step to avoid this problem from repeating again.

“Among the proposals that were [presented] is for the state government to take (its) own initiatives to prepare water tankers to channel aid, besides additional (water) pumps to face water supply disruption,” the source said.

The source also said the bureau members predicted that SYABAS will possibly conspire with the federal government to create a massive sabotage during elections, and urged Abdul Khalid to be on the guard.

“We expect and received information that there will be a massive sabotage during the elections.

“SYABAS and the federal government may possibly plan intentional disruptions to the water supply,” the source said.

Besides the water supply issue, last night’s meeting also touched on the party’s preparations for elections and the readiness of the party machinery ahead of polls.

Treated water supply in the country’s most developed state has become major campaign fodder in the run-up to Election 2013 after SYABAS raised the alarm in 2011 of a possible crisis in the near future due to near-zero reserves at the state’s water treatment plants.

Last Wednesday, Abdul Khalid had announced that Selangor plans to take over the water services from SYABAS and other state’s concessionaires within 14 days, saying that he wrote a letter to Chin’s ministry in relation to the matter.

But he was reported last Saturday as saying that his administration had yet to receive a formal response from Putrajaya over Selangor’s plans to buy over SYABAS.

Cabinet minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Kah Fui had previously said Putrajaya will not block the move.

But Chin, who is the energy, green technology and water minister, said Khalid was barking up the wrong tree by asking the federal government to consider its takeover plans on the state’s water services when he should have negotiated directly with the companies instead.

In the midst of the water supply dispute, Najib had last Saturday announced a RM120 million allocation for SYABAS, on top of a total of RM606 million previously allocated to the water utility.

The federal government has insisted that the state’s water crisis can be best prevented through the building of the Langat 2 treatment plant, while the Selangor government has protested the multi-billion ringgit plant saying that it is too costly and will not enable it to continue providing cheap water for Selangor residents.

PR, who is in favour of a restructuring of the state’s water services industry, had promised domestic consumers free water up to 20 cubic metres on a monthly basis after it took over the Selangor government from BN in Election 2008.

To facilitate the process, Selangor had first mooted the takeover in 2009, offering to buy SYABAS, Puncak Niaga Sdn Bhd (PNSB), Syarikat Pengeluaran Air Sungai Selangor Sdn Bhd (SPLASH) and Konsortium ABASS at RM5.7 billion. The offer was rejected.

Last year, Khalid was reported to have increased the offer to more than RM9 billion to take over all assets and liabilities of the companies, including their bonds.

The Selangor government has locked horns with the BN federal government and SYABAS, the sole supplier of treated water in the rich state as well as the two neighbouring federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, for the past four years over the Klang Valley’s water crisis.

PR parties rule Selangor and control 10 out of 11 parliamentary seats in the Federal Territory