S’gor Wants Answers Over Syabas Takeover

PUTRAJAYA — The Selangor Government has given the energy, green technology and water ministry two weeks for ‘watertight answers’ over its intention to take over the management of water concessionaire Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas), said state executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar.

“As they have already announced a Cabinet commitee to be formed (to discuss the water crisis issue), and National Water Services Commission (Span) has also been called for the discussion, it means, they are quite serious about it.

“So, I think within two weeks, we should have some kind of concrete answers from the ministry about this,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after handing a letter to the federal government over the state government’s intention to take over the management of Syabas at the ministry here today.

The letter was received by Nicholas Yii, a senior private secretary of the minister, Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui, following the Selangor Executive Council meeting yesterday, which decided to send the letter to the federal government.

Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said the state government felt it was important that the water issue be resolved immediately, for the sake of the people in Selangor, in particular.

Asked, what if the letter failed to obtain approval from the ministry or was objected to, by Syabas, Xavier said: “I don’t want to speculate what is going to happen. When we arrive at the situation, we will announce what action the state government will undertake.”

Commenting further, he said the water supply company had failed to discharge its duties as provided for in its concession.

“So, we are ready, on our side, (for) the takeover, the running, everything. We have all the things in place to just go in and take over, to make the transition smooth and (ensure) there is no disruption in water,” he added.

On the setting up of a Cabinet committee to discuss the water crisis issue led by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Xavier hoped the federal government would be an independent authority to look into the issue.

“Don’t just take figures given by Syabas. That is why, we are saying that we need an independent group audit to go into Syabas and look at all those figures put by Syabas, whether it is right or not,” he said. – BERNAMA

S'gor GovtSyabas