I personally hope that the move by concerned citizens to oppose the aim of the Federal government to privatise our water supply is the beginning of civil society taking charge of important issues instead of relying on our members of parliament, especially those from the Barisan Nasional.

The reason why the general public is still apathetic towards the water issue is because any increase in water rates will still be affordable like the recent price increases for petrol and toll rates.

But the one-sided contract signed between the concessionaire of the North-South Expressway, Projek Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan, and the government - which is greatly in favour of the former - should be a warning of what to expect from a government which has cosy relationships with a few crony companies.

The move to privatise water supply defies logic as, for example, the Perak water authority has been making profits every year. The state's chief minister has been on record as saying that the water supply would not be privatised yet he has made an about turn.

We should demand that the Perak state government make public the contents of a report on the matter by Price Waterhouse Coopers.

The Penang water authority, meanwhile, is acknowledged to be among the most efficient in the world yet our the Minister for Water, Energy and Communications, whose own party is ruling Penang, is looking towards the UK for ideas on water management.

The privatisation of Johor's water supply has included an internal rate of interest exceeding 15 percent while that of Selangor exceeds 10 percent - rates which are too favourable to the contractors at the expense of the government and the public.

Just like the secretive Plus contract, our government protects the contractors rather than the public. Isn't it time we make it clear to the government that we want to decide for ourselves on these matters instead of relying on BN MPs?

Our population is around 25 million. Surely we should and be able to make more people aware of the water privatisation issue for what it is, a profit-making exercise benefitting only a small number of people.

If the BN MPs are not allowed to vote according to their conscience, then we, as citizens, should exercise our rights in other forms.