SHAH ALAM, 14 Jan: The influence of the Selangor Government in the Selangor Water Supply Company (Syabas – Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor) is limited to only representation on the board of directors and not in the daily operations of Syabas.
This can be seen when in July last year, Syabas proposed water rationing in the whole of Klang Valley and Selangor without the agreement and knowledge of the Selangor Government, said Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Berhad (KDEB).
KDEB is a State Government-linked company which holds 30 percent of shares in Syabas.
In a statement today, the President of KDEB Suhaimi Kamaralzaman attacked the claims of a lecturer from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), that the State Government is trying to conceal its weaknesses in dealing with the water issue.
The lecturer, Dr Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri claimed that Syabas, operating under the State Government and Selangor, is trying to conceal the fact that it has no interest in Syabas.
Suhaimi said that daily operational works and maintenance, equipment and the water supply distribution system is implemented by Syabas’ management which was appointed by the majority shareholders of Puncak Niaga Holdings Berhad.
“Limitations in the influence of the State Government in the management of Syabas can be seen when the management proposed water rationing in July 2012, which was decided by the Syabas management without referring to the Board of Directors in advance,” Suhaimi.
The limited power of the Selangor Government in Syabas is among the reasons why it wants to take over the water industry from Syabas, claiming that the company failed to carry out its duties as a treated water distribution company in Selangor.
This was evidenced when five water pumps at the Wangsa Maju pump house broke down due to not being maintained properly since early last year causing more that 500,000 residents in 90 areas in Gombak and Ampang to experience water supply disruptions.
In the meantime, the State Government representative on the Syabas board of directors will be demanding an explanation from the Syabas management as well as an action plan for proper maintenance to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
In addition, the Chairman of the Selangor State Water Monitoring Committee, Datuk Mohamed Khusrin Munawi also has been monitoring Syabas daily, especially for the action plan and for water recovery.
The committee and also representatives from KDEB have sought explanation from Syabas regarding the failure and short and long-term solutions on this issue.
“They were responsible for ensuring that all action plans are implemented quickly and efficiently,” added Suhaimi.