KUALA LUMPUR – Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali has denied that the Selangor government would pay RM2.7 billion to take over Syarikat Pengeluar Air Selangor (Splash) as part of the restructuring of the state’s water assets.
Negotiation is still in progress, he said in dismissing the allegation by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.
“When I left the state government, the negotiation process had been extended to July 4,” Azmin said today. “I have been told that the deadline has been further extended by another month with the approval of the Cabinet.”.
Najib said a “Tan Sri”, who has a 30% stake in Splash, will benefit handsomely from the purchase. He claimed that the Tan Sri is a crony of a top Pakatan Harapan (PH) leader and co-founder of a political party which he did not name.
“I want to inform you that within these one or two days, there will be a purchase of Splash by the Selangor government,” Najib said in a speech at Bandar Putera yesterday while campaigning for Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate, Datuk Lokman Noor Mansor, who is running in the Sungai Kandis by-election.
Last Saturday, Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar had brushed aside a foreign media report suggesting that the federal government is set to pay RM1.9 billion for the takeover of Splash.
Singapore’s Straits Times had reported that a joint-funding deal had been struck, and that the total buyout was set at between RM2.5 billion and RM2.7 billion, and that the Selangor government is expected to fork out between RM600 million and RM800 million.
It was reported that the process of restructuring the state’s water industry had been put on hold because of disagreements between the then PH state administration and BN federal government.
The state government, then led by mentri besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, had rejected a proposal for the state government to bear 40% of the cost and the ministry to pay 60%.
Xavier had also said issues over the takeover would be resolved by early August. – Sundaily
Selangor water takeover: Cabinet approves one-month extension
KUALA LUMPUR: The federal government has given Selangor state a one-month extension to negotiate with Syarikat Pengeluar Air Selangor Holdings (Splash) on the water takeover.
Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali when met at the Parliament lobby today said the negotiation has not been finalised and the extension was approved by Cabinet.
Mohamed Azmin who is former Selangor Menteri Besar said he was made to understand, eventhough not privy to information, that negotiations are still ongoing.
He informed that when he was leading the state, the discussion was extended to July 4 on a mutual agreement with the previous government.
The current MB, Mohamed Azmin said, sought for a one-month extension from the federal government.
Mohamed Azmin was asked to comment on the statement made by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, yesterday who claimed that the Selangor government will purchase Splash for a whopping RM2.7 billion.
Najib also alleged that a “Tan Sri,” who has a 30 percent stake in Splash, will benefit handsomely from the purchase.
He alleged that the Tan Sri is a crony of a top Pakatan Harapan (PH) leader and co-founder of a political party which he did not name.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Azmin said the Selangor state government had submitted an independent valuation report on the purchase to the previous federal government two years ago.
“The previous government also appointed an independent valuer, but the report was not shared with the Selangor state government.”
Mohamed Azmin expressed hope that with PH now in power, the federal government’s valuation report will be shared with the state.
“To me, the price negotiated must be reasonable and fair to the rakyat. These are some of the pre-conditions and this include not having high tariffs affecting consumers,” he said, reiterating that the outcome should not burden the people. – NST
SUN DAILY / NST
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.