Newly-appointed Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Peter Chin Fah Kui will meet Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim soon to discuss matters concerning the national water restructuring exercise.

"When I feel confident enough, I will ask him to come in and talk to me," said Chin during the handing over of duties ceremony between him and his predecessor Shaziman Abu Mansor in Putrajaya today.

peter chin fah kui Chin ( photo ) said that the matter needed to be attended to as soon as possible but he would require time in order to be given the necessary briefing before taking action.

"We have to deal with this quickly. I was told by Shaziman that if we don't resolve the matter then the authorities have to come up with large sums of money (in compensation)," he said.

Currently, the Selangor government is locked in a tussle with the federal government over control of the state's water assets and managing companies which supplies water to Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

The federal government is adamant in nationalising all water assets and four concessionaires managing the state's water resources, but Selangor is worried that this would prompt sharp hikes in water tariffs.

Keng Yaik the negotiator?

However, should the status quo remain, the concession agreement would then allow the sole private water distributor Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) a scheduled raise in tariffs by 37 percent, backdated from April 1.

khalid ibrahim selangor water The Selangor government is also worried that should all four concessionaires be absorbed by the federal government, Syabas would be allowed to resume its monopolistic position, which has already propelled its boss, Rozali Ismail, as the 32nd richest individual in Malaysia, according to the Feb 2008 edition of Malaysian Business .

Meanwhile, Chin said he was open to the idea of inviting former Energy, Water and Communication Minister Dr Lim Keng Yaik to mediate the negotiations between the state and the federal government.

"I will not push this suggestion aside. I will look at it seriously," said Chin, adding that he would study the normal procedures in circumstances like this.

On April 14, Khalid had suggested that Lim heads the federal government negotiating team due to his competency in the water industry and the Water Services Industry Act (2006) that was introduced during Lim's tenure.