'Syabas threatening national security'

Water company Syabas' proposal to ration water in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya is a threat to national security, says DAP member of parliament Tony Pua.

"Syabas has become a threat to our national security by threatening seven million consumers (in those areas) with water rationing where there is no shortage of water," Pua said in a statement today.

When the water company insisted that water levels were low, he said, visits to the seven dams across the state yesterday by  Selangor exco members Ronnie Liu and Dr Xavier Jeyakumar proved that the dams were full and there was no shortage of raw water.

Pua also claimed that the proposed water rationing is to instill fear in the people of Selangor to help Barisan Nasional win back the state.

“It is a fear-mongering tactic used by Syabas, which is 70 percent owned by Puncak Niaga, firstly to help BN win Selangor in the next general election in order to perpetuate their control over water rights in the state,” he said.

The Petaling Jaya Utara MP added that this strategy is an excuse for them to make the state government agree to their RM3.94 billion Langat 2 treatment plant of sourcing raw water from Pahang.

“The entire ‘water-rationing’ threat is a ruse to frighten the people of Selangor into forcing the approval of the Langat 2 project which has nothing to do at all with the alleged low levels of treated water.”

Pua stated that the proposed project by the federal government is too costly and will only be ready at the earliest by 2014, whereas Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim has promised that the state will build additional capacities at the existing treatment plants, if required, and it will only take less than a year.

“It is hence clear that the costly project is unnecessary. What Selangor needs now is a thorough review of the existing plants operated by Puncak Niaga Sdn Bhd, Syarikat Pengeluaran Air Sungai Selangor Holdings (Splash) and Konsortium Abass,” he said.