KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 — Citing slander, Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) said today it take court action against PKR MP Rafizi Ramli who had blamed the water company for closing its treatment plants following ammonia pollution in Sungai Langat.
According to Syabas, the task for monitoring the level of ammonia in rivers and dams in Selangor was not its responsibility but was instead the job of the state government.
“Syabas would like to stress that Rafizi’s statement was inaccurate and baseless,” it said in a statement.
“Therefore, Syabas will take legal action against Rafizi for slandering Syabas with an absolutely untrue remark.”
On Tuesday, Rafizi slammed Syabas for allegedly failing to upgrade its facilities and anticipate water disruption during the hot spell this month.
The PKR strategic director said the dry weather had caused ammonia levels in raw water sources to rise, which Syabas plants were not equipped to deal with.
This has caused Syabas to shut down its plants in Batu 11, Cheras and Bukit Tampoi, Dengkil, Rafizi said.
Both water treatment plants have remained closed since January 28, according to the Deputy Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid on Tuesday.
The ammonia pollution in Sungai Langat was last measured at 4.15 parts-per-million (ppm), compared to the acceptable level of below 1.5 ppm.
Several places in Selangor, including Balakong, Cheras, and Pandan — of which Rafizi is MP — has gone without water for the past week.
Syabas had confirmed this week that water reserve at the Sungai Selangor dam was at 53 per cent while the reserve at Klang Gates was at 56 per cent.
Mahdzir had also announced that cloud seeding exercise will be carried out in water catchment areas this week to prevent a water crisis in the Klang Valley.
