SHAH ALAM, 11 SEPT: The restructuring of the water industry in Selangor will be completed before 31 December this year after the State Government received confirmation from the Central Government.
Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said that the matter was decided by the Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA) in a letter dated 9 September 2013.
In the letter, the Minister of KeTTHA, Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili stated that the Ministry has considered all the arguments and facts presented by the State Government and is confident that it can be resolved.
“The State Government thanked the Ministers involved personally and gave their commitment to ensure that the water management will be handed back to the State Government in accordance with the Water Services Industry Act (Wasia) 2006.
“We reiterate our readiness to take over the water operations as soon as possible seeing that the solution to this problem has nearly been achieved,” he said in a press conference at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Building in Shah Alam.
The letter also stated that the Ministry will hold a meeting with the share owners of the concession companies at the latest next week to discuss the process and procedures of the water restructuring which will be implemented.
“We (the Federal and State Government) have the same goal to settle this matter for the restructuring of the water industry in the state of Selangor,” he added.
Also informed is the provision of free water which will continue in the next few years as contained in the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat (PR) manifesto should the water industry restructuring be completed.