Energy, Water and Communications Minister Dr Lim Keng Yaik said he was given the authority by the cabinet to disclose the Water Services Industry Bill and the National Water Services Commission Bill to the public.

This is to enable to public to scrutinise the bills before it is presented to Parliament.

Keng Yaik, who is also the Parti Gerakan Raykat Malaysia (Gerakan) president, announced this at a press conference following a monthly central committee meeting at its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

"Water bills have been approved by the cabinet [...] I obtained permission from the cabinet to 'de-rahsia' (publicise) and open up before it even goes to Parliament," he said.

According to Keng Yaik, he will do so once he resumes work after his break which will end on Nov 1.

"Meanwhile I have got enough allocation under the eight and ninth Malaysian Plans to get various state governments to quickly replace as much pipes as possible," he said.

Improvement in service

He assured that the public will experience notable improvements in water services after new pipes are installed and non-revenue water are reduced, even before the new regulations come into place.

The tabling of the water bills in Parliament has been postponed twice in March and June this year.

The bills were made possible following the amendment to the Constitution during a special parliamentary sitting in March to transfer its judicial powers on water from state to the federal government.

Keng Yaik acknowledged that he has been burdened with a ministry looking after a consumer-oriented public utility and noted there is room for improvement on the delivery of services.

"I'm not a superman, give me chance-lah," he said, adding that efforts are taken to look into the matter.

New line-up

The party's president also announced Gerakan's new bureau and committee line-up during today's three-hour meeting.

Keng Yaik is now the political bureau and central working committee chairperson while his deputy, Dr Koh Tsu Koon, holds the economic and research bureau chairperson position. Dr S Vijayaratnam is the international and ethnic relations bureau chairperson.

Soong Siew Hoong replaces Kerk Choo Ting (photo) as the disciplinary committee chairperson. Kerk presently holds no position in the party at national level after failing in his bid for party presidency in August.

Keng Yaik also said there will be no time limit for members to serve the party. "We are not fearful to use good people. What we are afraid of are bad people who come in."

Meanwhile, Keng Yaik also announced that the party will donate RM100,000 to the Penyayang Pride Foundation ( Yayasan Budi Penyayang Malaysia ) - a charity organization - chaired by the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's late wife Endon Mahmood, who passed away on Oct 20.