Selangor's "manufactured water crisis" as Khalid steps in...

Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim has announced that the state is to exercise its right to take over the operations of state water concessionaire Syabas.

This is because it doubts the veracity of the claim behind the water rationing exercise that Syabas announced on Saturday.

All seven dams in the state are not only full to capacity, but overflowing, Khalid  told a press conference in Shah Alam today.

"The state government has decided to use its power under Clause 32 of the concession agreement to notify the federal government that we will step into Syabas’ operations," he said.
                   
It has sent a notice to the federal government which, as a party to the tripartite agreement, must give its nod, as well as to the national water services commission Span.

Khalid also said the state government’s advisors have indicated that the water shortage claim may have been manufactured.

He further highlighted the fact that Syabas:

- has failed to reduce non-revenue water below the contractual threshold of 20 percent;

- owes nearly RM3 billion to its water treatment facility operators; and

- has failed to invest in facilities and infrastructure to fulfill its responsibility of supplying adequate water to the state

It was Syabas' failure to deliver on its contractual responsibilities, as well as the likelihood of deception, that has prompted the state government to act, Khalid explained.

Asked what would happen if the federal government objects to the takeover, Khalid said the state government will take the matter to court.

Oversight committee set up

Pending the response of the federal government and Span, Khalid announced the creation of a committee to oversee Syabas operations.

He said Syabas will have to table daily reports to state secretary Mohamed Khusrin Munawi (left) and state water regulator Nordin Sulaiman, who is also State Water Management Board chief.

Water consortium Abbas will also be roped into the committee along with audit firms, Halcroo, Suez and Wessex Water, which will review and verify Syabas' reports.

On Saturday, Syabas had announced that it will apply to Span to conduct immediate water rationing in Kuala Lumpur, Hulu Langat and Klang.

Syabas CEO Ruslan Hassan said this was needed as reserves at treatment plants are now down to about 2 percent compared to the 20 percent required to maintain adequate supply.

The company, which had been appointed by the BN-led state government, has been engaged in an open tussle with the current Selangor government over water supply operations.

Selangor has claimed it is the victim of a lopsided contract and a hostile BN-linked contractor.

The company, meanwhile, has accused the state of preventing it from increasing the water tariff, which has stopped it from improving its services.- malaysiakini

Catuan Air yang meragukan & Khalid Ibrahim mahu ambil alih operasi SYABAS...

 Menteri Besar Selangor Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim mengumumkan bahawa kerajaan negeri itu mahu melaksanakan haknya untuk mengambil alih operasi syarikat pemegang konsesi air negeri - Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (SYABAS).

Katanya, ini kerana kerajaan Selangor meragui pengumuman cadangan catuan air oleh SYABAS kerana pengawal selia air negeri dan ahli lembaga pengarah SYABAS tidak dimaklumkan.

Bercakap dalam satu sidang akhbar hari ini, Khalid berkata, tujuh empangan negeri di seluruh Selangor mempunyai kapaisiti air yang cukup dan melimpah.
 
Berikutan itu, katanya, kerajaan negeri telah membuat keputusan mengunakan kuasa di bawah Klausa 32 dalam perjanjian konsesi untuk memberi notis kepada Kerajaan Persekutuan untuk Kerajaan Negeri “step-in” dalam operasi SYABAS.

Sementara itu, dalam satu kenyataan, Khalid menjelaskan, bagi menjaga kepentingan rakyat Selangor, kerajaan negeri telah meminta Datuk Setiausaha kerajaan negeri bersama pengawal seelia air negeri untuk memantau perkhidmatan air oleh SYABAS.

Jawatankuasa tersebut, katanya, akan minta SYABAS memberi laporan harian untuk menerangkan kedudukan  air semasa.

Sementara itu, kata Khalid lagi, Konsortium ABASS juga akan diminta menyertai jawatakuasa ini yang mana syarikat itu akan memanggil pakar bebas yang berpengalaman semasa krisis air 1998 untuk memantau kesahihan laporan dan maklumat oleh SYABAS.

"Perlu ditekan di sini, keadaaan sekarang tidak boleh disamakan dengan krisis air pada 1998 kerana tujuh empangan negeri di seluruh Selangor mempunyai kapaisiti air yang cukup dan melimpah.

"Kerajaan negeri menggesa supaya proses penstrukturan semula industri air diteruskan dengan segera kerana SYABAS jelas tidak berkemampuan untuk memberi perkhidmatan air yang baik kepada pengguna," kata Khalid.

Ini, tambahnya, jelas ditunjukkan apabila SYABAS setakat bulan April 2012, mempunyai tanggungan jumlah tertunggak kepada operator rawatan air dianggarkan sebanyak RM2.8 billion.

"SYABAS juga gagal menurunkan kadar air tidak terhasil (non-revenue water) kepada 20%. Tambah pula, laporan awal audit mendapati SYABAS tidak melaksanakan kerja-kerja capex (capital expenditure) mereka dengan baik," kata Khalid lagi.

Berdasarkan alasan di atas, katanya, maka kerajaan negeri telah sebanyak dua kali menghantar surat kepada Kerajaan Persekutuan pada 19 Disember 2008 dan 21 Januari 2011 untuk membatalkan perjanjian konsesi tersebut.

"Oleh kerana Kerajaan Persekutuan tidak memberi sebarang maklum balas terhadap surat-surat tersebut, kerajaan negeri telah membuat keputusan mengunakan kuasa di bawah Klausa 32 dalam perjanjian konsesi untuk memberi notis kepada Kerajaan Persekutuan untuk Kerajaan Negeri “step-in”  dalam operasi SYABAS.

"Kerajaan negeri juga akan meneruskan usaha mencari sumber air alternatif seperti air bawah tanah dan menambah baik kapisiti loji rawatan air sedia ada dengan mengguna pakai teknologi terkini," katanya.- malaysiakini

 cheers.