Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan has defended his state administration against claims that the state is not cooperatiing in helping Selangor solve its water crisis.

"Claims saying that the Negri Sembilan government is not cooperating or does not care, these claims are untrue," Mohamad said.

"We have never put political differences above the interest of the public," he is reported as saying by The Malay Mail Online today.

The Negri Sembilan Department of Environment and other departments, Mohamad added, were still investigating the matter.

Selangor state executive councillor Elizabeth Wong (photo) had earlier lamented a lack of cooperation from the Negri Sembilan authorities in cleaning up the site of pollution causing water disruptions in Selangor.

Wong said Selangor has been building bunds at the confluence between Sungai Buah and Sungai Semenyih, and had treated the water at the bunds as well as the site of the pollution across the border with activated carbon.

This proved to be effective in lowering the level of pollution, she said, but it is not sustainable.

She claimed that when Selangor Water Management Board (Luas) acting director Nor Zamri Sondor contacted his Negri Sembilan counterpart for help last Thursday, he was told that he was on his own.

Negri Sembilan state opposition leader Anthony Loke had also previously urged the state government to set politics aside and assist the Selangor government.

Loke said the water quality must be restored immediately, while investigations - including allegations of sabotage - could wait.

Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali has also alleged that there were elements of sabotage by BN in the water crisis, and he has since been urged to come forth with the evidence.