Selangor challenges Chin to debate 'water crisis'

Selangor exco member Dr Xavier Jayakumar has challenged Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Peter Chin Fah Kui to have an open debate over the long-standing issue of water supply in Selangor.

"We challenge Chin to have an open debate with the Selangor state government to allow Malaysians, particularly the people of Selangor, to make their own judgement over the issue of water in Selangor," he said when concluding his committee's affairs in the state assembly sitting yesterday.

The Selangor state government is currently fighting a water services industry battle with the BN-ruled federal government, which plans to take over the state's water management, but negotiations have hit an impasse for two years.

Putrajaya has been urging the state government to approve the Langat 2 water treatment plant to enable water transfer from Pahang, failing which Selangor will face serious water shortage in 2014.

But this dire projection has been rejected by the state government, which argues that the state has enough water supply.

Xavier (left) criticised the RM8 billion project to transfer water from Pahang, which he said aimed to enrich BN cronies as it involves a huge amount of kickbacks and commissions.

"What we need is to upgrade the infrastructure of current water treatment plants to increase our water reserve," he said.

The exco member who is in charge of health, plantation workers, poverty and compassionate government, also lambasted Syabas, the state water service operator, for frequently disrupting water supply under the excuse of water treatment plant maintenance.