Never allow UMNO Government to blackmail us

Selangor may hold a referendum for the public in the state and the Federal Territory to vote on its planned takeover of Syabas.

State Executive Councillor for Health, Plantation Workers, Poverty and Compassionate Government, Dr Xavier Jeyakumar, said the referendum idea would be pursued while awaiting the Attorney General's decision and preparing necessary legal action on the matter.

"We know we are in the right, and we are confident that the people of Selangor have faith in the government they elected," he said today.

He described the decision of the Special Cabinet Committee on the water issue as a "forgone conclusion" as some of its members had openly expressed support for the Langat 2 Plant proposed by Syabas.

He claimed that the committee's decision was to protect Syabas. "The cabinet committee seems to be more interested in Syabas than the fate of 5 million people in Selangor," he said.

Sudden withdrawal of water rationing shows crisis was 'manufactured'

Xavier also highlighted the Special Cabinet Committee's assertion that there is no need for water rationing in the state.

"It showed that Syabas is manufacturing the water crisis. Who is going to take responsibility over this?" he asked.

Meanwhile, the Coalition Against Water Privatisation (CAWP) is calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry to probe into the tussle over the water concession.

When contacted, its coordinator Charles Santiago said there are more questions than answers coming out of the whole saga.

"Why is there so much of reluctance to open Syabas' books? Why are there contradictory statements being made?" he asked.

"One minute Syabas says that water rationing is necessary and then the Deputy Prime Minister (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin) says it is not," he said, alleging that the people were being held "at ransom".

"Syabas has also failed to comply with what is in the water agreement between it and the state and federal governments," he claimed, adding that an inquiry would be the best way to determine all discrepancies and allegations at hand.

"This inquiry should also look into the necessity for the Langat 2 plant," he added.

An Umno tool

Exco for Tourism, Consumer Affairs and the Environment, Elizabeth Wong, called Syabas an Umno tool to pressure Selangor into approving Langat 2.

"The federal government has no plans as to how Langat 2 will solve the water shortage considering the state government has prepared a water mitigation plan worth RM 225 million," said Wong.

She added that there has to be an independent committee to determine which project would solve the treated water problem at the lowest cost.

"The Barisan Nasional federal government should admit its mistake in signing the Water Privatisation Agreement in 2004, a mistake which cannot be corrected until now," she added.

Wong said the Selangor government has the power to take over Syabas under the Water Supply Industry Act 2006, adding the federal government decision to block this showed the BN government favoured corporations over the rakyat.

Exco for Women's Affairs, Science, Innovation and Culture, Rodziah Ismail, insisted that Syabas cannot implement water rationing.

She said the government-linked company had not consulted the state before announcing its rationing plan.

"Syabas should withdraw its wishes and actions of rationing water and raising water prices by almost 40% in Selangor as it does not benefit the people at all," added Rodziah.

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PEKAN-"Kami hidup macam zaman sebelum merdeka, malu rasanya berada dalam parlimen dua orang Perdana Menteri (Datuk Seri Najib dan Tun Razak).

"Nak disembunyikan, kami sudah tidak mampu. Pihak berkenaan hanya berjanji dan terus berjanji... masalah ketiadaan air tetap tidak dapat diselesaikan."

Begitulah bunyinya rungutan Hasni Omar, seorang penduduk Taman Sepekan Makmur dekat sini, yang kecewa dengan Ahli Parlimen mereka yang juga Presiden Umno serta pemimpin tempatan yang gagal membela nasib mereka mengatasi masalah ketiadaan bekalan air.

Dalam aduannya kepada media, beberapa orang penduduk di taman perumahan yang mempunyai 248 buah rumah itu telah mengalami masalah ketiadaan air sejak tujuh tahun yang lalu.

Menurut mereka, meskipun sudah berkali-kali masalah itu diajukan kepada pelbagai pihak berkaitan termasuk Perdana Menteri sendiri, namun hingga kini masih belum diselesaikan.

"Pada awalnya kami bersabar, namun selepas pinjaman perumahan mula dipotong daripada gaji kami maka terpaksalah berpindah ke sini kerana tidak mampu membayar sewa rumah lain.

"Banyak kali kami adukan masalah ini kepada Jabatan Bekalan Air (JBA) Pahang yang kini dah jadi Pengurusan Air Pahang Berhad (PAIP) namun tiada tindakan dibuat.

“Sampai bila kami harus terus jadi mangsa keadaan. Mujurlah setakat ini belum ada lagi mana-mana penghuni yang mengadakan majlis kenduri perkahwinan dan sebagainya.

"Bayangkan jika ada, sudah pasti keadaan akan lebih merumitkan. Kami terpaksa memunggah air dari sungai berdekatan atau dari rumah saudara mara setiap hari. Teruk kami, tujuh tahun hidup begini.

“Rumah yang kami beli ini bukan rumah kos mewah cuma rumah kos sederhana dan kos rendah sahaja yang mana kebanyakan pembeli berpendapatan rendah dan sederhana.

"Kami terpaksa menanggung pembiayan bank sejak 2006 lagi dan ada pembeli yang tak sanggup tinggal di sini terpaksa menanggung rumah sewa diduduki sekarang," kata beliau lagi.

Sementara itu tinjauan mendapati segala kelengkapan untuk pengurusan bekalan air sudah disediakan.

Menara tangki, pam dan kipas juga sudah pun disiapkan sejak sekian lamanya oleh pemaju, namun air tetap tidak dibekalkan kepada penduduk hingga menyusahkan mereka.

Menurut penduduk, mereka difahamkan masalah timbul apabila pemaju taman perumahan terbabit iaitu Sepekan Sdn Bhd didakwa telah melanggar syarat dan membuat pembinaan tangki tanpa mengikut spesifikasi yang ditetapkan oleh PAIP.

"Tangki air taman perumahan terbabit didakwa tidak mengikut piawaian yang ditetapkan maka itu kebenaran tidak diberikan.

"Kini struktur semuanya sudah disiapkan, saluran paip pun sudah siap, tangki bawah dan pam semua sudah ada cuma kelulusan sahaja tidak diperolehi," katanya.

Ada pula yang berkata ia berpunca apabila pemaju dikatakan membeli tangki sedangkan kos berkaitan tidak dibayar sepenuhnya kepada pembekal.

Justeru, pembekal tidak mengeluarkan surat kepada pemaju sedangkan dalam masa yang sama PAIP perlukan surat tersebut untuk proses kelulusan.

Penduduk mengatakan, masalah mereka telahpun acap kali diadukan kepada Pegawai Daerah Pekan, Adun Peramu Jaya dan setiausaha politik Najib di Pekan.

Mereka berjanji untuk selesaikan, namun hingga kini tidak ada sebarang penyelesaian dilakukan.

“Apa lagi yang dapat kami lakukan jika tidak mendedahkannya kepada media? Cuba bayangkan jika masalah seperti kami ini berlaku dalam negeri Pakatan Rakyat,” tegasnya.
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As a Selangorian, I believe that UMNO Government has gone too far by pushing for Langat 2.  It is time we take matter into our hands and do the right thing.

It is understandable that UMNO Government is making sure they grab everything before 13th General Election not leaving a single crumb to who ever take over Putrajaya.  But don't use us as bait.

If UMNO Government is not stop today, tomorrow we will share the same fate as those people in the picture.