Water contamination at the Sungai Semenyih treatment plant is still critical, said a Selangor state exco.

“It is still a critical situation at this point.

“We are still pumping out the water and placing it in a pond to be treated later. But this level of contamination cannot be treated easily,” Tourism, Consumer Affairs and Environment exco member Elizabeth Wong said today.

She said the contaminated water coming from Negri Sembilan contained octabromodiphenyl ether, a flame retardant which she said was “very poisonous”.

She was speaking to reporters when met outside Parliament’s special chambers.

Earlier in the House, Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak), who is also Selangor menteri besar, thanked the federal government for its willingness too cooperate and deal with the contamination issue.

However he then took potshots at Urban Wellbeing, Housing, and Local Government Minister Noh Omar, who is Selangor BN chief.

“I will not work with Tanjung Karang (Noh). I will fight him (Noh) till the very end because he has politicised the water issue,” Azmin said.

“Even prawns died (under Noh),” Azmin said, poking fun at the latter’s alleged role in a commercial prawn farm project when he held the agriculture portfolio.

This angered Noh, who accused Azmin of corruption, thus sparking a war of words which ended when speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia adjourned proceedings for lunch break.