Muhyiddin tells Selangor to be pragmatic over water issue

JOHOR BARU, July 14 — Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is urging the Selangor government to be more practical and pragmatic in facing the water supply crisis in the state. 

He said the Selangor state government, under the leadership of Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, should not turn the crisis into a political issue as it would only burden the people and the country if the problem was not addressed immediately.

Muhyiddin said Selangor should not turn the water problem into a political issue or make nonsensical threats. — File pic

“This is not a concern for Selangor and the Federal Territory only, but involves a large section of the population and water consumers besides the industrial and commercial sectors.

“So, the impact is not felt within the state only but also the country. So, we ask the Selangor government to be practical and pragmatic by taking immediate action.

“Don’t turn the problem into a political issue or make nonsensical threats,” he told reporters when commenting on the statement by Khalid, which was carried by the press today, giving an ultimatum to the federal government as a condition to continue the Sungai Langat Water Treatment Plant 2 (Langat 2). 

Among the terms set include asking the federal government not to raise the water tariff and to recognise assets worth RM10.5 billion such as pipes, treatment plants and dams as state government property.

Muhyiddin, who had earlier closed the National Education Dialogue here today, said the negotiation process on Langat 2 had been going on for a long time and was nothing new.

“There is no need for any threat and we have held numerous discussions, and we have asked them to take immediate action because if the Langat 2 is not implemented, it will affect the residents and a water crisis will hit the country’s central area,” he said.

He said that matters such as the water tariff and reducing non-revenue water (NRW) could be discussed later because what was more important now was to build the plant to avoid a serious water crisis.

“He (Khalid) already knows the true story, he is dilly-dallying, he says it can be resolved, but later he turns around and asks for this and that.

“Don’t let it turn into a crisis, if by 2014 a new water supply project is not made available, a serious crisis will occur in two years’ time. So, we ask him to speed it up,” he added. — Bernama