Where is your conscience? Penang MCA asks CM about water price hike
Penang MCA leaders have handed a protest letter to Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow to object to the impending 20 percent water price hike in the state.
Gathering outside the state administrative office at Level 3 of Komtar, the group represented by MCA state liaison committee spokesperson Ooi Teik Liang handed the letter to a staff of the chief minister's office.
"The recent announcement from the state government will increase the daily living cost, and it will reflect that the state government is not concerned and caring to the people over their sufferings in their daily lives...
Penang MCA leaders have handed a protest letter to Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow to object to the impending 20 percent water price hike in the state.
Gathering outside the state administrative office at Level 3 of Komtar, the group represented by MCA state liaison committee spokesperson Ooi Teik Liang handed the letter to a staff member of the chief minister's office.
"The recent announcement from the state government will increase the daily living cost, and it will reflect that the state government is not concerned and caring about the people over their sufferings in their daily lives.
"The increase of water price will affect the economy, drinks and products related to water and will see an increase in the cost and capital, while the consumers who purchase these items would surely face price hikes.
"People are already suffering in their daily lives, Chow Kon Yeow, where is your conscience?" Ooi said when contacted.
Ooi said the party's letter to Chow highlighted that the Pakatan Harapan leadership under the previous Chief Minister and current Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, has seen four water price hikes over 10 years.
"The current increase announced by Chow will result in more pressure on the economy even though the state government said it would remove the Water Conservation Surcharge,” Ooi said, citing a report from Counseling and Credit Management Agency (AKPK) which showed that 28 percent (or three out of 10) Malaysian adults needed to borrow money to cover their daily expenses.
"Although the price after the increase is still lower and cheaper (than other states) in Malaysia, the announcement was not done at the right time, and it is not reasonable," Ooi.
Yesterday, Chow had reportedly dismissed claims that water tariff in Penang had been increased four times in the past decade.
He was quoted in the media as saying the rate was increased only once under Pakatan Harapan rule over the past 10 years.
Chow had said that "the review on water tariff was not on the rate, but only on the mechanism".
He futher added that the discussion about the new mechanism was done during the previous federal government’s administration.
However, a consensus of all states on the matter could not be reached, he added.
Chow then said that Penang would only fix the rate once it was approved by the National Water Service Commission (Span).
The chief minister had declared the hike in water price after remarks by Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar, who said that water supply prices should be revised upwards to protect water quality and ensuring the industry’s services were maintained at a high level.
