By Khairul Khalid
The water restructuring in Selangor is set for another long standoff, with the state and Putrajaya now at loggerheads over the master agreement. Is the politics of water rearing its ugly head again?
Is politics more important than securing water for millions of Selangor homes and businesses?
It’s hard to say otherwise in the perennial bickering between state and federal governments over ownership and control of Selangor’s water industry.
After more than seven years of wrangling between the state and federal governments, the Selangor water restructuring plan is now at a stalemate, yet again.
Previously, negotiations were stalled mainly over asset valuation.
Azmin Ali
Now, Selangor Menteri Besar (MB) Azmin Ali and Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Maximus Ongkili are at loggerheads over the issue of land. Azmin called the deal off several weeks ago, refusing the federal government’s demand for “free land” related to the water assets.
The MB claims that Putrajaya violated the master agreement inked between them and former MB Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, who hastily orchestrated the deal last year before he was ousted.
Now, both parties are back at the negotiating table. But year after year they have negotiated and renegotiated, to no avail.
How much longer can the public wait?
Abdul Khalid Ibrahim
Things became messy for Selangor’s water industry since the state fell under opposition control in 2008. Almost immediately, the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) led state tried to take over the water assets from the concessionaires – Puncak Niaga, Syabas and Splash.
This culminated in a chain of events that led to Khalid’s agreement with Putrajaya last year for a RM9.65 billion state takeover of water assets to regain control of the water industry, after being privatised in 1994 by the Barisan Nasional (BN) led state government.
Although some hailed Khalid’s deal with Putrajaya as a breakthrough, others were suspicious of the former MB’s unilateral decision-making, especially since Khalid conceded to the RM9 billion Langat 2 water treatment project that was previously deemed unnecessary.
Regardless of the political machinations in the water saga, the social and economic implications of uncertainties in Selangor’s water industry are enormous.
What is at stake? Water supply for approximately seven million residents in Klang Valley, almost a quarter of Malaysia’s population, may be in jeopardy.
Billions of ringgit in foreign investments may be delayed due to fears that water shortage could cripple the economy of the Malaysia’s richest state.
One would reasonably think that these two reasons alone would have forced both parties reach a sensible compromise a long, long time ago.
Yet, the state and federal governments seem nowhere near a solution and seem intent only on shifting the goalposts to their whims and fancy everytime there is a slight disagreement.
Five years away from 2020, the basics of supplying water to the people still eludes us.
And it is not for the lack of knowledge, technology or skills. Sadly, politics trumps common sense and much else, even the rights to water.
Azmin and his team claim that Putrajaya breached a “gentleman’s agreement” in the water deal.
There is nothing particularly gentlemanly in causing the taxpaying public such a prolonged anxiety – seven years and counting – over the steady water supply.
Both parties have had more than enough time – maybe too much – to mull over the water agreement, to tweak details, iron out the kinks.
Selangor and Putrajaya should stop the finger pointing and recriminations. Cut the politics and seal the water deal now.
GRRRRR!!!
You must be logged in to post a comment.