'Syabas boss holds grudge against S'gor MB'

Selangor exco Teresa Kok has hit back at Selangor Malay Chamber of Commerce president Rozali Ismail for alleging that the state has sidelined Malays in business.

In a strongly-worded statement today, she said Rozali is dissatisfied with the state government because of a dispute over the water tariff.

Rozali is the executive chairperson of water concessionaire Syabas, which has sued the Selangor government for refusing to allow it to raise the tariff.

“I believe that Rozali made this baseless statement due to his personal grudge against Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim and the Pakatan Rakyat government for trying to buy over his cash cow, Syabas,” said Kok (left) .

Rozali had on Saturday said that the state has never consulted the chamber to discuss the economic position of the Malays and their economic development in Selangor.

However, Kok said the chamber had been invited to a dialogue on the state’s annual budget on July 26-27, but had not put in an appearance.

This was unlike other trade associations like the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers and Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association that had sent representatives, she said.

“(The chamber’s) absence from this pivotal dialogue was both startling and disappointing,” she said.

Politically motivated claim?

Further disputing Rozali, she pointed out that members of the Selangor Malay Chamber of Commerce sit in the Selangor Business Council, an advisory board.

The state cannot be accused of neglecting Malay traders because “prominent Malay business people and economists” are part of that council, she said.  

Kok added that there is also reason to believe that Rozali’s statement is politically motivated, as he is the Selangor Umno treasurer.

“It is well-known that Rozali (right) is a majo r financier of Umno, thus he has joined the fray of (Pakatan-bashing) initiated by Umno.

“The Selangor (government) has never and will never sideline, marginalise or exclude any chamber of commerce,” she added.