Gerakan Secretary-General Liang Teck Meng had behaved most inappropriately and unprofessionally when he issued a statement under Gerakan calling me to reveal a letter from Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang Sdn Bhd (PBAPP) to SPAN dated 23 December 2016. As Chairman of SPAN, a government statutory body regulating the water operator industry, he should not use that position to score political points but behave professionally to ensure a sustainable water industry that benefits the rakyat by ensuring regular and sufficient water supply that is clean and healthy.
Sadly he has failed that statutory duty and instead used his position as Chairman of SPAN to make disclosure of confidential information, that are not complete but selectively taken out of context, to paint a false and negative picture of the Penang state government.
- Liang breached his duty as a Chairman, when he pretended to ask for my permission to reveal PBAPP’s application(not from the Penang state government) to SPAN dated 23 December 2016, for approval for an increase of Penang water tariffs. And yet in his 20 July statement, he outlined what was stated in that PBAPP’s letter, making his request for my permission an insincere and fake request that cannot mask his immature and bumbling eagerness to score political points.
- Liang breached his duty as SPAN Chairman, when he did not provide full disclosure by failing to disclose that PBAPP had fully withdrawn its application for a water tariff increase by a letter to SPAN on 21 February 2017.
- Liang breached his duty as SPAN Chairman, when he again did not provide full disclosure by failing to disclose that SPAN had in writing on 25 April 2017 objected strongly to PBAPP’s letter on 21 February withdrawing the proposed water tariff increase.
- Liang breached his duty as SPAN Chairman, when he again did not provide full disclosure by failing to disclose that SPAN had again written to PBAPP on 23 June 2017, that the proposed Water Conservation Surcharge(WCS) did not generate sufficient revenue for PBAPP and that a water tariff increase should be considered.
- Liang had breached his duty as SPAN Chairman, when he tried to hide the fact that SPAN had clearly pressed for a water tariff increase from PBAPP and was unhappy when PBAPP withdrew our proposal.
SPAN was also unhappy that the Penang state government was willing to try one more time, by resorting to an increase in WCS to try to reduce water wastage or excessive water consumption, by punishing those who waste water instead of punishing all consumers with a water tariff increase.
This is reflected in Liang’s public comments as reported in Bernama on 20 July 2017,
“Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara (SPAN) telah menerima permohonan daripada kerajaan Pulau Pinang untuk menaikkan surcaj pemuliharaan air (SPA) bagi penggunaan domestik di negeri itu, namun masih belum membuat sebarang keputusan mengenainya.
Pengerusi SPAN Datuk Liang Teck Meng berkata keputusan itu masih belum dimuktamadkan memandangkan SPAN berpendapat jika kerajaan negeri berhasrat untuk menaikkan SPA, ia lebih sesuai dilakukan serentak dengan menaikkan kadar tarif, agar selari.”
If he feels that my response is that he has given a sign that the federal government wants Penang to increase its water rates in line with other states is pure slander, then he is welcome to sue me and Bernama.
The Penang state government is proud that PBAPP is still able to maintain the lowest water tariffs in the country at 32 cents for every 1,000 liters for the first 35,000 liters of water. This compares with Liang’s home state of Johor, that charges 4 times higher at RM1.32.
Further we are even prouder that despite climate change that has caused many states to impose water rationing over the last 6 years, Penang remains the only state in Malaysian history that has never imposed water rationing.
Liang should pay more attention to his own home state of Johor in terms of reducing both water tariffs and the frequency of water rationing.