S'gor gov't denies Langat 2 stalemate solved

The Selangor government has denied that the impasse with the federal government over the Langat 2 water treatment plant has been resolved.

“I regret to inform that the deputy prime minister is trying to put the answer in our mouth.

“Yes, in principle (Selangor) agrees to solve the water issue and accepts Pahang water.

"But we must resolve the issue of water restructuring,” said Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim’s political secretary Faekah Husin (left) when contacted late last night.

According to Faekah, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s “misleading statement” last night could be a move to further ply pressure on the state.

“(He could have said this) in order to later blame us for delaying matters,” she said.

She added that the Selangor government has already submitted their proposal to the federal government and “(the ball) is in their court”.

“Anyhow, we are still open for further negotiations and the people’s interest is our only consideration,” she said.

Muhyiddin (right) said yesterday that Khalid had given the consent to build the Langat 2 water treatment plant.

The deputy premier added that the MB had also wanted the matter resolved urgently to avoid a crisis in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya in the near future.

Khalid was said to have expressed this at 5th National Waters Resources Council meeting in Putrajaya yesterday.

Muhyiddin added that with all obstacles removed, the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry would be asked to go into overdrive mode to implement the project.

The Langat 2 plant will treat raw water supplied through a tunnel from Pahang.

The federal government had claimed that the plant will be able to avert a likely water crisis in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

The state, however, has raised doubts over the data used by the federal government to forecast the crisis, saying that the situation is not as gloomy as predicted.

It also takes the stand that restructuring the four water concessionaires— Syabas, Splash, Puncak Niaga and Abbas— is the first step to avert the crisis.

This is because the exercise will allow the state to manage a consolidated treatment and supply operation, and cut non-revenue water loss.

But the federal government has been unwilling to budge on the restructuring issue, and has urged Selangor to keep it separate from the issue of Langat 2.