Set up select panel to probe water supply, environment issues, DAP tells Johor govt

Johor DAP committee member Dr Boo Cheng Hau says all is not well with the state water asset management system. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: Johor DAP committee member Dr Boo Cheng Hau has submitted a petition to the state assembly speaker to set up a select committee on water supply and environment to investigate several issues.

Boo said the proposed committee should study how a RM700 million loan given to the state government by the federal government in the 1990s was channelled.

“According to the Auditor-General’s Report 2017, the state government still owes the federal government RM334.51 million of ‘bad loan’ for the SAJ (Johor public utility company) water supply upgrading projects for the past 25 years.

“SAJ’s assets worth RM3 billion were sold to PAAB (Pengurusan Aset Air Berhad) for RM4 billion. Where has the excess of RM1 billion been channelled for the settlement of the debt owed to the federal government?” he said in a statement today.

Boo said the proposed committee should investigate why Ranhill SAJ Sdn Bhd had not paid any dividends to the Johor government for its investment in the company between 2013 and 2017.

It should look into weaknesses in the water asset management system that has caused Ranhill SAJ non-revenue water loss of as much as 24.12% in 2018, and suggest how the management system could be improved, he said.

He said the committee should also investigate why many water catchment areas, including Semborong Dam, had not been gazetted as protected zones. - FMT