PKR de-facto leader Anwar Ibrahim is advising Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali not to just accept the controversial water deal as it is, if it benefits a select few.

 

Anwar, who is also the Permatang Pauh MP, said Azmin has consistently insisted on making the deal more transparent.

 

“I would certainly advise him to look (and) if the agreement is flawed, then he should not continue (to accept it) without question.

 

“Who are the beneficiaries? I do not care who are the higher-ups but if you take it out on the people and as a result, the people have to pay more, then I think we have to re-look it.

 

“I take a very strong view of that and I know that this is one of the reasons some people very high up have an issue against me.

"It is not personal but, you know, the water deal, you play around with it, you amass this amount of profit and you have to punish the people to pay,” he said in an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini .

 

Azmin was reported in The Star yesterday saying he would not revoke the agreement between the federal and state governments to ensure an efficient and quality water supply in the state.

“I am not going to revoke it. I want the exercise to be completed as soon as possible so the people can have enough water in the future,” the MB was quoted as saying.

Azmin had said he would continue to pressure for full disclosure of the water agreement signed by Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, whom he replaced last month.

Pay penalty if need be

Anwar, who was interviewed at his Bukit Segambut home, said while the Selangor government must honour its commitments, it should also be prepared to pay a penalty to re-look at what was signed if, in the long run, it is in the best interest of the consumers.

“If you ask me, will you honour the agreement, I would have to say yes, but my meaning of yes is that we have to look at the provisions of the agreement, on what needs to be reviewed.

“If it means a small penalty or reasonable penalty (need to be paid for breaching the contract) which in the long run will benefit the consumers, I think we should go along. Rather than just concede to this sort of deal.

“The agreement was done in haste, secrecy. Why the delay in the appointment of the new MB? Because you want the water deal to be agreed upon? This is public knowledge,” he said, adding that villagers may need further explanation on this matter.

The PKR de-facto leader said he has yet to discuss the water agreement with Azmin at length, but would not want him to concede easily to what was signed by Khalid.

Included in that discussion would be what the Selangor MB had told the media recently about not revoking what has been agreed to.

The opposition leader, still fiery despite a possible jail sentence at the Federal Court next week, said if the evidence clearly points to the deal enriching certain individuals, there is sound basis for a review.

“In a session in Singapore in which there was a question on the independent power producers (IPPs), they challenged me (by asking) how can you say you are questioning the agreements you have signed earlier.

“I said that if you have evidence or provisions that you have bribery, the people you are enriching (are) one or two people at the expense (of others), then there is that provision (to review the contract); this is even in the United Kingdom law,” he emphasised.

Khalid had maintained the water restructuring agreement is fair despite criticisms from Pakatan over contracts he signed before leaving office.

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