Stop dithering on water restructurung or quit as MB, Khalid tells Azmin
(Malay Mail Online) – Deposed Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim today told his successor to get on with the business of restructuring the state’s water industry or make way for someone else who can get the job done.
Khalid accused current mentri besar Azmin Ali of deliberately stalling the process of taking over the state’s four water concessionaires, even failing to draw up a detailed action plan to provide concrete solutions to the various water-related issues affecting Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
“As a result, I was made to understand that officials who have worked hard to set up Selangor’s water industry restructuring are now left with no clear direction or guidelines from the mentri besar,” Khalid said in a statement.
“Instead, all he has done is make various confusing statements, flip-flop rhetoric, feeble claims and baseless accusations towards interested parties especially the federal government. It is either he has no competency or there is an ulterior motive,” Khalid added.
Khalid warned that the situation may push Puncak Niaga Holdings Berhad (PNHB) to make good on its threat to scuttle the planned takeover of its majority owned concessions — Puncak Niaga Sdn Bhd and Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) — by state-owned Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd, following five applications by the latter to extend the deadline to meet the terms of the deal.
He added that PNHB may also very well take legal action to recoup some RM4.97 billion in backdated debts owed by the state government as at March 31 this year, a situation that is not helped by the alleged “immunity” enjoyed by another concessionaire, Syarikat Pengeluar Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (SPLASH) which has continued to reject takeover offers made by the state.
“Even after His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor has repeatedly reminded the state administration to make sure the water industry restructuring is settled as soon as possible and in line with the Master Agreement, it is as if Tuanku Sultan’s decree is not paid any heed.
“If the mentri besar himself realises his personal abilities and whatever obstacles to finalising Selangor’s water industry restructuring at a cost not exceeding RM9.65 billion, I then repeat my call that I have raised in the Selangor State Assembly before this.
“His sincerity to put the rakyat first will shine through if he steps down now so that the Selangor State Assembly can find a replacement who is truly qualified, capable and skilled to carry out this heavy responsibility,” Khalid said.
On June 18, Azmin said he was hopeful that the state and federal governments would be able to come to a final agreement on Selangor’s long-delayed water industry restructuring plan within seven days.
Last year, Putrajaya signed a deal with the Selangor state government under then Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.
Under the water agreement, Selangor is meant to infuse a new special purpose vehicle with RM14.92 billion in assets to manage the water restructuring exercise with Putrajaya.
The federal government is also to provide RM2 billion to help offset the state’s cost of taking over the four concessionaires — Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas), Puncak Niaga Sdn Bhd, Konsortium Abbas Sdn Bhd and Syarikat Pengeluar Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (SPLASH).
In return, Selangor would provide all necessary approvals for the construction of the Langat 2 water treatment plant that it had previously resisted.
Azmin, however declared that the agreement “has collapsed” in March, claiming that the federal government had alleged failed to comply with pre-conditions set out by the state government.
Both governments have since resumed negotiations, with Maximus saying in May that it is up to Selangor to settle the issue of transferring water assets and a complete takeover of the state’s water concessions.
