Selangor Gerakan Youth urges Bukit Gasing assemblyman to stop covering the state government’s shortcoming in resolving water crisis in Selangor (8.11.16)

Selangor Gerakan Youth today urges Rajiv Rishyakaran, assemblyman for Bukit Gasing  to stop finding excuses to cover the shortcoming of the state government in resolving the water crisis in Selangor.

In a statement issued, Selangor Gerakan Youth Secetary  Chai Ko Thing also criticized Rajiv’s call  for the Federal government’s water asset management company, Pengurusan Aset Air (PAAB) to bear the full cost of all pipe replacement in Selangor is wholly unfounded and devoid of any justification.

Chai is also BN coordinator for DUN Bukit Gasing.

“While I concur with YB Rajiv’s concern on the need to replace old water pipes in Selangor from the recent state budget’s proposed allocation of RM100.6 million, I nevertheless disagree with his call for a five-fold increase in allocations i.e. RM500 million a year from the state budget for the purpose of water pipes replacement as such additional fund would have projected for other equally important development projects.”

“I wish to remind YB Rajiv that under Section 35 and 36 of the Water Services Industry Act 2006, it is the duty of the facilities and water distribution licensee to maintain and repair its water supply system and the cost of doing so shall be borne by the licensee. As correctly pointed out by YB Rajiv that the two water supply companies, Puncak Niaga (M) Sdn. Bhd and Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas), were taken over by the state owned Pengurusan Air Selangor since 2014, its therefore the statutory obligation of the state government to undertake such water pipe replacement and hence it’s unjustified to ask PAAB to bear the full cost of all pipe replacement in the state.”

He said Rajiv should assist the state government to prioritize on the need to address the issue of water losses by lowering the non revenue water (NRW) which still stand at the staggering rate of 36% at present in a more proactive manner rather than burdening the state expenditure by asking for more allocations which have been projected for other equally important development projects under the state budget.