In its continuing offensive against uncooperative water concessionaires and a federal government overly secretive over concession agreements, Selangor will release a report to the public, listing its water assets 'appropriated' by concessionaires without payment.

NONE "This has allowed concessionaires to take advantage (of state assets) to reap untold profits. Indeed in the original concession agreement, they had their way with state assets without need to pay," lamented Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim after chairing the weekly exco meeting in Shah Alam today.

The report, he explained, will be based on fixed asset sightings and due diligence that will include water treatment plants, piping, reservoirs and pumping systems all over the state.

Khalid hoped that the water concessionaires will cooperate fully with the study due to be completed in March.

"This effort is to ensure that the takeover of water industry by the state from the four concessionaires will be done in a fair manner for all concerned," he reasoned.

Khalid added that as the custodian of the people's trust, the state government is responsible in inventorying the water assets appropriated which he reckoned at RM10 billion.

The state has offered to take over the water supply in the state from commercial concessionaires, an effort being resisted by the mostly Umno connected firms.

Business wranglings over the matter having spilled over to a legal battle on whether or not the original concession agreement should be kept under wraps under the Official Secrets Act or be allowed for public scrutiny.

Short courses 

Meanwhile, during the same press conference, the Bandar Tun Razak assemblyperson also announced that Selangor will offer short courses to students evacuated fron Egypt.

"This is open to all students sponsored by the state or is from the state. However preference will be given to students who are Lembaga Zakat Selangor scholars," explained Khalid.

The courses, he said, ranges from English to Arabic and computer skills and will be conducted at Unisel campuses across the state.

There will be no fee for the courses, which can be between six months to one year, said Khalid further.

"This is to ensure that the students can fill their time with useful activities and gain knowledge while they await things in Egypt to calm down," he said.

About 1,700 students from Selangor are amongst those being evacuated from the Middle eastern country which is now in unrest following a popular uprising against president Hosni Mubarak.

Khalid also announced an increase in the allowance of teachers teaching the recitation of the Qur'an and Islamic knowledge (Kafa) inline with federal government policies.

"They shall be given an extra RM300 in addition top the RM1000 they are already receiving," said the MB.

He added that this sums up to an additional RM14 million each year to add to the RM61 million already being spent annualy to pay for (Kafa) allowances.