Media statement by Lau Weng San in Petaling Jaya on Monday, 16^th January 2012:

Stop arm-twisitng Selangor state government, Syabas should improve its efficiency

I regret that Syabas has been launching some media campaign in the name of "water crisis" to arm-twist Selangor state government to agree to Langat 2 water treatment plant.

I urge Syabas to discard such heinous political games and concentrate on improving its efficiency and services to the people during this interim period.

Therefore, it is the responsibility of Syabas to immediately replace old pipes in Selangor, particularly Sungai Way new village where villagers have to bear with low water pressure and leaking underground pipes almost everyday.

Villagers start facing low water pressure several years ago. When PR first took over the state government, I have requested Syabas to examine the problem and find a quick solution to it.

The root cause of the problem is the old and expired underground water pipes in Sungai Way new village leak when the pipes, especially the one in Jalan SS9A/14 and Jalan SS9A/13 fails to sustain higher water pressure, causing leakages and higher Non-Revenue Water (NRW).

Although Syabas does come and resolve the problem immediately after receiving complaints, this is insufficient to resolve the problem. Syabas has agreed to replace the old pipes in Sungai Way in a letter addressed to the Sungai Way new village JKKK in April 2011. However, the JKKK was informed in December 2011 that the project has to be postponed pending financial approval from the Federal and State government. I do not know what kind of approval Syabas needs from Selangor State Government the state government usually is not involved in Syabas' old pipes replacement scheme.

I hope Syabas can immediately resolve whatever internal problems that they are facing and embark on the old pipes replacement scheme in Sungai Way new village. More importantly, Syabas has already promised to implement the scheme last year.

This is the real business that Syabas has to concentrate instead of playing politics by using "water crisis" as reason to mislead and arm-twist the state government of Selangor to give-in to their demands.

* Lau Weng San, Selangor State Organizing Secretary & SA for Kampung Tunku