Selangor Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency chairperson  Hannah Yeoh has come under fire for her 'safe to drink' verdict.

Comparing Selcat's decision making to salad-making, Klang MP Charles Santiago said Selcat picked the wrong ingredients for its recipe and the result "would spell disaster for our health."

He said this because due diligence was not carried out on the state's water supply, after mining pond water was added during the last water crisis.

Insisting that he has been right all along, Santiago issued a press statement condemning Yeoh, who today told reporters that Selangor's water was "verified safe for use."

Santiago (left) said the conclusion, reached mostly after hearing only from two government officials in a two-hour session, was misleading and premature.

"Yeoh has nonchalantly dismissed five years of academic research, which was published in international journals, did not get the academics involved in the research to testify at the closed door hearing and did not bother to consult independent academics and experts such as chemists and geologists – given conflicting views.
 
"In short , Yeoh and Selcat, which are supposed to be independent of the Selangor state government, have done a big disservice to the people of Selangor," he said.

Santiago has alleged that the mining water acquired had contained heavy metals and he also presented his case at Selcat together with Kelana Jaya MP Wong Chen.

He claimed that they however did not get a fair airing.

Santiago said this would render whatever conclusions Selcat reports to the state assembly for debate next week meaningless.

"I repeatedly raised concerns about the presence of heavy metals in the Bestari Jaya ex-mining pond, substantiated by a comprehensive research study conducted by experts from University Malaya.

"The treatment plant, however, is not sufficiently equipped to clean out heavy metals," he added.

Yeoh had said that Selcat has heard explanations from the Chemistry Department and Health Department representatives as well as the Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas) chairperson Mohd Khairi Selamat during a hearing on June 10 before verifying that the water was safe to be used.

Yesterday, Santiago also threatened legal action against the state, saying he had no other choice.