Is water deal by cronies and for cronies?
YoursayPublished: Mar 4, 2014 1:54 AM | Updated: Mar 4, 2014 2:10 AM
YOURSAY ‘This deal is a conspiracy by the ruling elites from both coalitions.’
Rafizi warns water deal may result in tariff hike
Hermit: The Langat 2 project is akin to independent power producers (IPPs). Whilst Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) has proven to generate electricity at economical cost, the IPPs are created for Umno cronies so that they could sell electricity at exorbitant rates to TNB, which in turn passes it on to the rakyat.
Before GE13, Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim was bold enough to say that his water deal did not necessarily need Langat 2. He envisaged diverting run-off rain water using new technology to increase the supply of water to Selangor and the Federal Territory without the need for a new plant.
Now certain sweeteners have been added somewhere along so that the water deal suddenly is packaged with Langat 2, which Khalid has obediently agreed with the Umno chiefs.
Costs for Langat 2 are certainly going to escalate, like any project handled by Umno, and Selangor and Federal Territory folks would have to bear with increased in water tariffs, similar to the energy tariffs.
HatiPakatan: What is PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli trying to do? Isn’t MB Abdul Khalid a member of Pakatan Rakyat?
The difference with an analyst like Rafizi and a practitioner like Khalid is simple - one talks and criticises and the other works and performs.
When Khalid made his name in corporate life, Rafizi was still a small schoolboy. The non-revenue water (NRW) is now 35 percent and if under the Khalid administration, it can be reduced to 10 percent, the savings alone can compensate for any increase.
Singapore has an NRW of 5 percent and since we are ‘Tak Boleh’, we may target 10 percent - that itself is already savings. It is very clear Rafizi is trying to spin a conspiracy and tarnish Khalid's name.
Pemerhati: Rafizi is probably right. Since Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s time Umno’s modus operandi has been to steal a large amount of the people’s money through the technique of giving the project at an inflated price to a crony and then getting a huge kickback.
If for example the Umno thieves have decided that they want to steal RM2 billion from the Langat 2 project, which can actually be carried out for RM2 billion, they will tell the public that the cost of the project is RM4 billion and then award the contract to a crony.
The crony will then hand over RM2 billion to Umno and complete the project for RM2 billion. The public will then be charged based on the fact that the cost of the project was RM4 billion. This will mean that the public will be paying about twice as much for the water as a result of Umno’s massive theft.
Malaysians get screwed twice each time Umno carries out a project. Firstly they lose their money through theft and secondly they pay a very high price for the service provided by the project.
Patriot1: All the water concessionaires are cronies and the Langat 2 project will be pushed through by the federal government one way or another. The tussle has been going on for six years with nothing moving. The water supply will be unable meet demand, it's just a question of when.
Selangorians has already been screwed years ago when the concessionaire agreements were penned. The state bit the bullet to take over the concessionaires and can start the "cleaning up" process.
We can at least now move forward to address the water issue rather than it coming back later with an even higher price tag. If the MB says that he's okay with disclosure of the MOU pending agreement by the federal government, why can't we accept that now the ball is in the federal government's court?
For those who passed negative remarks, do you have any solution how to solve the state problem when the federal government has no intention to do so?
Abasir: Taxpayers may only speculate on what's going on given that the murky water deal is slyly kept out of public scrutiny by a state government that touted transparency and accountability to differentiate it from the Putrajaya rascals.
Now with this drip feed release of possible consequences, we may justly conclude that Pakatan is terminally ill, that it is infested with self-serving power brokers and businessmen-cronies and that we are all left with Hobson's choice - support the devil we never recognised in 2008 or the devil we all know and have come to despise.
Either way, this country is in the hands of rogues, thieves and charlatans ... both seasoned and emerging. Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia chairperson P Waythamoorthy was clearly not the only naive, trusting fool.
I, for one, will now make it my religious duty to disabuse anyone and everyone of their fanciful notions of a better country if they start rambling about a hopeful political future.
There is none, there can be none because we now know that this country is permanently and hopelessly disabled by a leadership deficit.
The thieves, rogues and rascals in all shapes and colours will take turns to rule... after pulling batik over the eyes of a gullible, foolish, self-centred electorate.
Onyourtoes: Abasir, I can't agree with you more. I am never more disappointed than today. For years, we wrote, commented and supported Pakatan thinking the coalition would make a difference.
I think the country is controlled by oligarchs who already have the stranglehold on politicians on both sides of the aisle. This country will continue to degenerate; there is no hope except nincompoops' delusion.
All I ask for now is to disclose the terms and conditions as in the memorandum of understanding (MOU). This is at least more reasonable than all the nincompoops who supported Khalid (and some of the leaders in Pakatan) thinking that deal must have taken into consideration the best interests of the people.
I think this deal is a conspiracy by the ruling elites from both coalitions to cheat the people. It is the deal of the cronies, by cronies and for the cronies.
Because of drought, they are capitalising on the insecurity of the people to agree to whatever crap they are dishing out to us. We shall see, I am not going anywhere.
The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.
Rafizi warns water deal may result in tariff hike
Hermit: The Langat 2 project is akin to independent power producers (IPPs). Whilst Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) has proven to generate electricity at economical cost, the IPPs are created for Umno cronies so that they could sell electricity at exorbitant rates to TNB, which in turn passes it on to the rakyat.Before GE13, Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim was bold enough to say that his water deal did not necessarily need Langat 2. He envisaged diverting run-off rain water using new technology to increase the supply of water to Selangor and the Federal Territory without the need for a new plant.
Now certain sweeteners have been added somewhere along so that the water deal suddenly is packaged with Langat 2, which Khalid has obediently agreed with the Umno chiefs.
Costs for Langat 2 are certainly going to escalate, like any project handled by Umno, and Selangor and Federal Territory folks would have to bear with increased in water tariffs, similar to the energy tariffs.
HatiPakatan: What is PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli trying to do? Isn’t MB Abdul Khalid a member of Pakatan Rakyat?
The difference with an analyst like Rafizi and a practitioner like Khalid is simple - one talks and criticises and the other works and performs.
When Khalid made his name in corporate life, Rafizi was still a small schoolboy. The non-revenue water (NRW) is now 35 percent and if under the Khalid administration, it can be reduced to 10 percent, the savings alone can compensate for any increase.
Singapore has an NRW of 5 percent and since we are ‘Tak Boleh’, we may target 10 percent - that itself is already savings. It is very clear Rafizi is trying to spin a conspiracy and tarnish Khalid's name.
Pemerhati: Rafizi is probably right. Since Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s time Umno’s modus operandi has been to steal a large amount of the people’s money through the technique of giving the project at an inflated price to a crony and then getting a huge kickback.
If for example the Umno thieves have decided that they want to steal RM2 billion from the Langat 2 project, which can actually be carried out for RM2 billion, they will tell the public that the cost of the project is RM4 billion and then award the contract to a crony.
The crony will then hand over RM2 billion to Umno and complete the project for RM2 billion. The public will then be charged based on the fact that the cost of the project was RM4 billion. This will mean that the public will be paying about twice as much for the water as a result of Umno’s massive theft.
Malaysians get screwed twice each time Umno carries out a project. Firstly they lose their money through theft and secondly they pay a very high price for the service provided by the project.
Patriot1: All the water concessionaires are cronies and the Langat 2 project will be pushed through by the federal government one way or another. The tussle has been going on for six years with nothing moving. The water supply will be unable meet demand, it's just a question of when.
Selangorians has already been screwed years ago when the concessionaire agreements were penned. The state bit the bullet to take over the concessionaires and can start the "cleaning up" process.
We can at least now move forward to address the water issue rather than it coming back later with an even higher price tag. If the MB says that he's okay with disclosure of the MOU pending agreement by the federal government, why can't we accept that now the ball is in the federal government's court?
For those who passed negative remarks, do you have any solution how to solve the state problem when the federal government has no intention to do so?
Abasir: Taxpayers may only speculate on what's going on given that the murky water deal is slyly kept out of public scrutiny by a state government that touted transparency and accountability to differentiate it from the Putrajaya rascals.
Now with this drip feed release of possible consequences, we may justly conclude that Pakatan is terminally ill, that it is infested with self-serving power brokers and businessmen-cronies and that we are all left with Hobson's choice - support the devil we never recognised in 2008 or the devil we all know and have come to despise.
Either way, this country is in the hands of rogues, thieves and charlatans ... both seasoned and emerging. Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia chairperson P Waythamoorthy was clearly not the only naive, trusting fool.
I, for one, will now make it my religious duty to disabuse anyone and everyone of their fanciful notions of a better country if they start rambling about a hopeful political future.
There is none, there can be none because we now know that this country is permanently and hopelessly disabled by a leadership deficit.
The thieves, rogues and rascals in all shapes and colours will take turns to rule... after pulling batik over the eyes of a gullible, foolish, self-centred electorate.
Onyourtoes: Abasir, I can't agree with you more. I am never more disappointed than today. For years, we wrote, commented and supported Pakatan thinking the coalition would make a difference.
I think the country is controlled by oligarchs who already have the stranglehold on politicians on both sides of the aisle. This country will continue to degenerate; there is no hope except nincompoops' delusion.
All I ask for now is to disclose the terms and conditions as in the memorandum of understanding (MOU). This is at least more reasonable than all the nincompoops who supported Khalid (and some of the leaders in Pakatan) thinking that deal must have taken into consideration the best interests of the people.
I think this deal is a conspiracy by the ruling elites from both coalitions to cheat the people. It is the deal of the cronies, by cronies and for the cronies.
Because of drought, they are capitalising on the insecurity of the people to agree to whatever crap they are dishing out to us. We shall see, I am not going anywhere.
The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.
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