PETALING JAYA, Feb 27 — The Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia applauded the move by Selangor and the federal governments to restructure the state’s water industry.
Its president, S. Piarapakaran, said the signing of a MoU ysterday will benefit consumers as it marks a step in the right direction.
He said while the decision is a delayed one, it nevertheless signals the right way forward.
The MoU, which in particular addresses the completion of the Langat 2 water treatment plant, was signed between Water, Green Technology and Energy Minister Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili and Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.
“Until the restructuring process is complete, the water disruption issues still need to be closely monitored,” Piarapakaran said.
“The supply and demand situation will, in the meantime, remain. And until the restructuring is complete, similar disruptions might occur.”
He said the parties must be able to ensure that water is distributed evenly to the effected areas.
“The mitigation projects are divided into two phases and if they are completed on time between 2014 and 2016, lengthy water disruptions can be avoided,” he said.
Piarapakaran also said the authorities must be cautious over ammonia pollution or other factors. They should have been fully prepared for such scenarios much earlier.
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) secretary general Foon Weng Lian said the signing was timely. Fomca sees this as a giant leap towards water sustainability in Selangor.
Foon suggested an independent committee comprising members of public, economic and water experts, NGOs and consumers associations to monitor the progress of the project.
“We don’t want any more delays. The people want to be assured that this is not a gimmick,” he said.
At the signing ceremony, Ongkili said the federal government was ready to allocate additional funds to help Selangor take over the water concessionaires enabling the state government to manage the water services.
He said the Selangor government has been allowed to give offers to water concessionaires on the takeover process.
These include Puncak Niaga Sdn Bhd (PSNB), Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas), Syarikat Pengeluar Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Splash) and Konsortium Abbas Sdn Bhd (Abbas).
