KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 15 — Subang Umno Youth’s decision to organise a charity car wash in Kajang while Selangor grapples with a water crisis has invited brickbats from Malaysian Internet users.

According to Subang Umno Youth chief Mohd Shahriza Amir Shariffuddin, the car wash scheduled for 2pm tomorrow in Sungai Jernih and co-organised with Kg Asrah Umno Youth, is part of the campaign for Barisan Nasional’s (BN) candidate for Kajang by-election Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun.

“We have stored water in advance, and will not be using any tap water,” Shahriza told The Malay Mail Online in a brief phone interview here.

The water, collected for the past four days, fills the kolah (water tub) at the mosque where the car wash will be held, Shahriza said.

The charity event will end the moment the organisers run out of water from the tub, he explained.

Earlier today, Shahriza announced the event on Twitter, together with its banner which featured the photos of Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and Chew.

“No water in the house? Lazy to wash your car? Let us wash it for you,” Shahriza tweeted in Malay here.

Another event co-organised by Subang Umno Youth earlier tomorrow is a sepak takraw tournament in Taman Mesra, Kajang.

Millions of consumers in the Klang Valley are now part of ongoing water rationing in Selangor, after state water utility Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) expanded the exercise last week to include previously unaffected areas.

The expansion covers parts of the six districts that are undergoing the alternating supply schedule — Kuala Lumpur, Petaling, Klang/Shah Alam, Gombak, Kuala Selangor and Hulu Selangor — that had previously escaped the ration.

The expansion now raises the number of households affected from the previous 431,617 to 722,424.

Syabas announced the first stage of the scheduled water distribution plans for three districts in Selangor: Hulu Langat, Kuala Langat and Sepang, in February.

The water rationing for the 60,185 households in the three districts was implemented after the closure of water treatment plants Cheras Batu 11 and Bukit Tampoi, and then expanded the ration to the six additional districts on February 28.

The two plants were shut down by Syabas on January 28 after the hot spell caused ammonia levels in raw water sources to rise.

Water levels at two key dams at Klang Gates and Langat also continue to deplete despite recent bouts of rain.