Yesterday I issued a statement calling for heads of those responsible to roll if there were to be another water rationing exercise in Selangor.
Selangor Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim responded that the state government and its officers should not be blamed for the most recent water shortages because Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor is not yet within the state’s control and I should be more constructive in my criticisms. Instead I was told to direct my criticisms at SYABAS whose “officers are paid millions… to be more professional and to cooperate with the State Government”.
My record will show clearly that I have given 100% support to the Menteri Besar and the state government’s moves to restructure the fractured and privatised water industry even when Tan Sri Khalid was criticised from within Pakatan Rakyat. My support for restructuring hasn’t changed or wavered. Selangor is facing a water crisis today precisely because these profit-maximising privatised water companies are only interested in increasing tariffs, and hence under-invested in the necessary water infrastructure.
However, my criticisms weren’t about the restructuring exercise. The issue is, the recent water shortages, particularly in Balakong and Bangi – and yesterday at Bandar Mahkota Cheras and Batu 9, as well as the surprise warnings by SYABAS for possible disruptions in Petaling, Gombak and Klang Districts, came within a week after the State gave explicit “guarantees” that there will be no water rationing in the state over the next few months.
On 17 June, state executive councillor in charge of youth and sports, infrastructure and public utilities, Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi said, “at this point, we are guaranteeing that [water rationing] will not take place.” Earlier on 11 June, Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim provided the same assurance that “there is currently no plan for another water rationing exercise. The state government will work to ensure that this does not happen”.
The question is – why did the State Government give the ironclad “guarantee” if it now gives the excuse of “no control over SYABAS”? Did the State secure a “guarantee” from SYABAS before issuing the “guarantee” to the public? The state government also had sufficient time to put in place the necessary contingency measures to cope with any resulting shortages – which must be the reason why the state was willing to provide the “guarantee” in the first place.
Hence when water shortages occur within days after the guarantee issued, does that not make the Pakatan Rakyat government, and its elected representatives look like complete fools?
This is especially since there has been no response from the state government explaining the causes of the severe shortages in various parts of Selangor – highlighted on a daily basis in the media over the past 2 weeks. Nobody seems to know the cause. Everyone, including the Pakatan Rakyat elected representatives, is only aware that the state government gave a “guarantee”.
Hence my colleague, Dr Ong Kian Ming, Member of Parliament for Serdang had on 20 June, proposed the immediate set up a high-level water task force comprising of the MB, key elected representatives and state officials to find and review solutions, as well as to stay informed of the water woes.
Dr Ong also called upon the state government to put in place contingency plans such as creating dedicated water disbursement teams in areas prone to water disruption and providing it with sufficient back up resources. Other measures have also been proposed including tightening up illegal usage of water such as car washes and consumer education.
Even the suggestions made by the Selangor state assemblymen to set up a Special Select Committee on Water during the peak of the water crisis since earlier this year went unheeded.
Therefore, there have been no lack of “constructive proposals” from the DAP or Pakatan Rakyat elected representatives. The problem isn’t the lack of “constructive proposals”, it is that they seem to fall on deaf ears.
Let me make it clear that we want to be constructive and are more than happy to give our full commitment to any emergency task force the State Government sets up to deal with the worsening water crisis.
We understand that it is the prerogative of the Menteri Besar to trust solely the state government and its officers to quickly resolve the crisis on its own without considering any of the above proposals. In that case however, if the water shortages continue, then let me reiterate our position – “heads must roll”.