SHAH ALAM, February 26 – The state government’s plans to restructure the water service industry in Selangor has not yet been implemented as its plans to take over all assets and equities from the four water industry companies in this state have been  thwarted by the Federal Government.

Selangor State Water Assessment Board panel member Fahda Nur Ahmad Kamal said the Federal Government’s actions in bypassing state government’s attempts for direct negotiation have caused the concession companies to refuse the state government’s offer.

“The Federal Government knew that the Selangor state government had made offers to the four concession companies, which are Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas), Puncak Niaga, Konsortium ABASS Sdn Bhd (Abass) and Syarikat Pengeluaran Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Splash), based on a fair and appropriate assessment,” she said.

However, she said, on February 18th, which was two days before the concession companies were due to respond, the federal government through the National Water Services Commission (Span) announced that they would be negotiating directly with the four companies involved.

“If there are two different offers, whereby another party wants to negotiate despite an existing offer, obviously the state government’s offer would be rejected,” she said to reporters after the Media Briefing on Selangor Water Service Industry Restructuring, Basis and Aims of the State Government at the Bilik Gerakan Negeri, here this morning.

She said, the direct negotiations conducted by Span were in truth a sabotage on the state government’s efforts to take over and make an offer according to its assessments.

“We feel this is ‘cutting the queue’ because they bypassed the state government’s efforts to speed up the final steps in the take over,” she said.

She added, as a result of the announcement, the state government was also unable to negotiate with the concession companies involved.

Meanwhile, Petaling Jaya Utara Member of Parliament who is also a panel member, Tony Phua said the main aim of the Selangor state government in restructuring the water industry in the state was to ensure better and more efficient management besides better water distribution.

He said, the interests of the people in this issue were of top priority for the state government.

“We wish to reduce the burden of the people of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur by giving them cheaper water supply,” he said.

Also present besides Fahda Nur and Tony Phua, were Klang Member of Parliament, Charles Santiago, Selayang Member of Parliament, William Leong and University of  Nottingham Malaysia Lecturer, Dr Subramaniam Pillay. – MURIZA ABDUL HAMID