‘Only Langat 2 legally binding in MOU’

The state government's water deal withy the federal government is not in the people's interests, says Rafizi .

KUALA LUMPUR: The only portion of the Shah Alam-Putrajaya water deal inked last week that is legally binding pertains to the construction of the multi-billion Langat 2 water treatment (LRAL2), said PKR’s Rafizi Ramli.

All other aspects of it, including the federal government’s pledge to facilitate the state government’s takeover of the four water concessionaires, is not binding and may not even be followed through by Putrajaya, Rafizi told a press conference today.

“The portion that is legally binding relates only to article 5(b) in the MoU which states clearly that the Selangor government’s responsibility is to “ensure all approval and permission related or necessary with regards to the construction of LRAL2…must be given by the Selangor State Government and relevant authorities”,” said Rafizi, quoting from what he claimed was a leaked copy of the MOU.

The copy, made available to the media, states that the “approval and permission” includes allowing the federal government to take over and register state land, and providing it a permit to use reserve forest land. The permission must be given on the date the MOU was signed.

“This means that the state government has given the government their one and only trump card — Langat 2 — in a lopsided deal that guarantees nothing for the people of Selangor,” stressed Rafizi.

“On the spot, the federal government has been given the greenlight to construct Langat 2, which we have always insisted is unnecessary and was only pushed through so that the BN government can award the multi-billion contract to its cronies,” he added.

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