The Selangor state government has been urged by representatives in the state to disclose the contents of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) it had signed with the federal government over the state's water concession take over in Putrajaya yesterday.

DAP's Klang MP Charles Santiago, who is a proponent of the Coalition Against Water Privatisation (CAWP) and a constant champion for the state taking over water concessionaires over the past six years, told Malaysiakini today that the state government must also convene a special sitting in the state assembly to explain this matter.

"There are plenty of questions that must be answered," Charles ( left ), who is also the Selangor DAP vice-chairman, said today.

"The RM2 billion that the federal government is giving the state- is it a loan or is it a grant?" he asked.

He also wants the state to explain the consequences of approving the Langat 2 water treatment plant project mooted by the federal government.

"The state needs to explain if Langat 2 will eventually have an impact on water tariffs in the state in the future," he said.

Charles pointed out that the MOU indicates that the federal government is yet to invoke its powers to takeover the water concessionaires and handing it over the state, and warned that if the concession companies choose for an arbitration instead of the compensation offered by the state, the takeover might drag for a couple more years.

"They can choose to go for arbitration and this would take one or two more years. Essentially, this is still going back to the willing buyer, willing seller concept," Charles said.

The federal government, prior to signing the MOU, had constantly maintained that the state's attempts to takeover the water concessionaires in Selangor needs to be done in a "willing buyer, willing seller" concept.

That approach had not been fruitful for the state, as the main water concessionaire Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) had not accepted the state's takeover offer.

Meanwhile, Kampung Tunku assemblyperson Lau Weng San ( right ), in welcoming the agreement, also said that the state must not classify the agreement as an Official Secrets Act (OSA) document, and instead disclose it to the general public.

"The state must give another detailed briefing to all state representatives and the public regarding this MOU," he said.