SHAH ALAM, April 2 – The Selangor Government’s non-approval of the Langat 2 water treatment plant project is an abuse of power and will affect its economy and turn it into a backward state, from being the most advanced.
Agriculture and Agro-Based Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar said, the Barisan Nasional (BN) government planned channelling in raw water from Pahang via tunnels costing RM4 billion since 16 years ago, which was now almost completed, and the then state government, had agreed that the plant be sited in Hulu Langat.
“In the original agreement, the state government agreed for us to use land in the Langat area for the plant. That’s all…its power is only to allow us to start the project. This is its only power, but apparently it wants to flex its muscle and this leads to abuse of power,” he told Bernama in an interview.
Noh said, the authority which should have been given for the construction of the Langat 2 plant was denied, and as a result today, Selangor faced a water crisis, shelving 440 projects with potential for tens of thousands of jobs. He said, companies which had committed to invest in Selangor were still waiting, until to date, to start their projects which could not be implemented as there was no assurance of adequate water supply.
“So, the people of Selangor have no choice but to ensure BN rules Selangor in order to solve the water problem,” he said in reference to the impending general election.
Noh said, they (people of Selangor) must realise the water issue was only a political gimmick of the Selangor Government which often stated they would solve the water crisis, but in reality, the situation was getting worse.
“Believe me, they will not be able to solve the problem as long as they are ruling Selangor. Because of the issue of wanting to take over the water, the Langat 2 issue, they accused us of wanting to give (them) to cronies. However, when we held an open tender, they did not enter the tender,” he said.
As such, Noh said, the federal government had decided to continue the construction of plant for the future of the people of Selangor while the attorney-general looked into the legalities.
“True, the power to approve the development order is vested in the state government. However, in terms of law, we need to look at which is more important. The importance of flaunting the power of the state government or public interest? Nevertheless, we have asked the attorney-general to conduct a study and we will continue the project”.
On the state government’s plan to take over the interests of the water concessionaires through a restructuring of the water industry, as a ruse not to approve Langat 2, Noh said, the issue of the plant and restructuring were two completely separate matters and should not be associated.
He said, he was surprised that Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, who headed a corporate company at one time, did not understand the business of taking over Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas), of which a part belonged to public-listed company Puncak Niaga.
“The restructuring of water is willing buyer, willing seller. How can the state government take over Syabas? How is that, a supposedly former corporate leader, does not understand the procedure of taking over a public-listed company? There are processes involved,” he said.
Noh said, there were too many vacillatings on the part of the state government over the water issue, and this would ruin the people’s future if the situation was left unchecked.
BERNAMA
