Pakatan today questioned Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Maximus Ongkili's about-turn to not use the Water Services Industry Act (WSIA) to acquire the three water concessionaires which rejected Selangor's bid to buy them.

DAP publicity secretary Tony Pua, PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli and PAS central committee member Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad described the minister's stand as a a betrayal of the agreement in a joint statement.

They said it was unacceptable and shocking for Onglili to say it would not invoke WSIA to compulsorily acquire them.

 

The federal government through the ministry signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) last month.

Following the rejection by the three companies, it was reported last week that the federal government would invoke Section 114 of the WSIA should the water concessionaires reject the offer.

 

It was reported that three out of four water concessionaire companies – namely Puncak Niaga Sdn Bhd, Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) and Syarikat Pengeluar Air Selangor Holdings (Splash) had rejected the RM9.65 billion acquisition plan.

 

However, Ongkili ( right ) on Friday was reported to have said “right now, we are still facilitating without invoking WSIA if possible...but the water situation is getting bad”.

 

The minister further said he still had a glimmer of hope that the state and concessionaires would reach a deal without using the WSIA.

 

The three Pakatan leaders said Ongkili's statement of Friday, contradicted with Tuesday's joint statement issued by the minister and Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, as earlier he had agreed, in line with the MOU, the federal government through his ministry, would invoke the WSIA.

 

“The latest about-turn, crafted in vague and ambiguous language clearly contradicts not only of the Tuesday joint statement, but is also a betrayal of the spirit of the MOU signed between the state and federal government on February 26 .

 

“The federal government promised to cajole the concessionaires into accepting the final offer made by the Selangor state by March 10, failing which the former was to execute its powers under the WSIA to conduct compulsory acquisition of the water companies.”

 

'Stop Langat 2'

In return, they added the Selangor state government would concede and grant the necessary approvals for the construction of Langat 2 water treatment plant to the federal government.

 

Hence, Pua ( right ), Rafizi and Dzulkefly said despite the privatised water companies having already rejected the offers made by the Selangor government, the minister continues to stall in invoking WSIA, hoping for a deal to be struck on a “willing buyer, willing seller” basis between the companies and Selangor.

“We would like to remind the minister that Selangor has already made the final offer. The offer has been rejected by these companies.

 

“The federal government has failed to persuade them to accept the offer. The state will not be increasing the value of the offer. Hence the deal is dead, there is no more negotiations. The five years of fruitless negotiations with these privatised concessionaires is enough time wasted.”

 

Ongkili, they said, should stop the pretence of waiting for “a glimmer of hope”.

 

“The water crisis in Selangor must be resolved immediately and the rakyat must not wait a day longer. We must have no sympathies for these three water companies who have already made hundreds of millions of ringgit in profits, and yet persist to reject a more than fair buyout offer.”

 

They said the ministry's action did not come as a surprise as  they “never had much confidence that BN will stand up to the greedy water concessionaires”.

 

“We call upon the Selangor government to withhold all remaining necessary approvals for the Langat 2 project to proceed. There is no legal necessity for the state to fulfill its obligations in the MOU, when the federal government failed to demonstrate their commitment.”