'Syabas used NRW fund to buy cars, repair office'

Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) has used state funds meant for reducing water wastage to buy cars and make office repairs, said Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim.

The MB told the state sitting today that in 2011 the state allocated RM784 million to the water concessionaire to reduce the company’s non-revenue water (NRW) rate to 20 percent.

Khalid said Syabas’ NRW is at present still at 33 percent despite the funding, and that the concessionaire had only spent 32 percent of the allocation to the effort.

“The rest according to the national audit, was used to purchase cars and make office repairs, that have no connection with NRW reduction,” said Khalid.

He was replying to a question from Permatang rep Abdul Razak Sulaiman on the effects of freezing Syabas’ capital expenditure allocation.

[More to follow]