Answers on the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Selangor and Putrajaya ought to be given by those who really know the issues, that is, MB Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Maximus Ongkili, and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin.

The questions that need their answers are:

1. Is the argument and suggestion put up by the three Pakatan MPs yesterday valid?

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/256981

2. All assets would be parked with Span under the Water Services Industry Act 2006 (Wasia) . And the state needs to pay a fee to lease these assets from Span at a standard stipulated rate of 3% (set for all the states including Selangor). Is that true?

3. How much fees will Selangor need to pay Span every year to use the water assets parked with Span under the current MOU?

4. For Selangor's water supply issue, would it not be more sensible and practical to explore using underground water and build reservoirs to store raw water from the rivers instead of buying raw water from Pahang? No?

5. The state's non revenue water (NRW, water not usable for supply) is very high at the moment. Syabas has put it as more than 30% at the moment. After the takeover by the state, sound and proper management plus replacing some leaked pipelines itself would be able to reduce NRW significantly within a year or two.

Hence the state would then have more treated clean water to spare for the consumers even without the Langat 2 project. No?

6. Since the Langat 2 water processing plant project is not something the state really needed, why should Selangor foot the bill eventually?

7. The federal government should pay for the Langat 2 project and not charge it to the state as assets, in the same manner as the other existing water assets. No?

8. Based on the MOU signed between the state and federal governments, does the state need to pay for using the Langat 2 assets? If yes, would it be calculated as 3% of the asset value of Langat 2 annually?

9. It is said Selangor needs to pay some RM70 million just to buy the raw water from Pahang every year for the first three years. Is that true?

10. How much revenue is Syabas is getting from the 7 million accounts every year at the moment?

Please tell us how much the state needs to pay Span and the Pahang state government after taking over the entire water industry, and what is the estimated total cost of operations and management in running the water business.

And how much revenue the SPV set up under KDEB to run the entire water business could collect every year after the takeover?

With all these basic and important information, we would then be able to judge whether the state is paying a fair price in taking over the entire water business on behalf Selangorians.

Those in the know, please answer immediately.

RONNIE LIU is former Selangor exco and Selangor DAP publicity secretary