MCA: Postpone scheduled pre-Xmas water cuts

PETALING JAYA: MCA has urged the Selangor government to postpone the water cuts scheduled to take place in the week leading up to Christmas on Dec 25.

In a statement on Sunday, its youth chief Datuk Chong Sin Woon said 3.9mil homes and business operators would be affected by the six-day water cut scheduled to start on Dec 19.

He said the water cut would lead to unhygienic sanitary conditions for homes and lead to losses for businesses which are heavily reliant on water for daily operations.

"Households are affected as they prepare to clean their homes and cook dishes and desserts in preparation for Christmas family reunions and gatherings.

"Why pick the week before Chirstmas to disrupt water supply?" he asked.

He added that state government should be compassionate to the needs of the people in the Klang Valley.

"The Selangor government must not play deaf and blind to the pleadings from the masses opposing the six-day water cuts," he said.

Chong's sentiments were echoed by MCA publicity bureau chairman Datuk Chai Kim Sen who said the water cut was poorly timed and stressed that it may leave an "embarrassing image" on foreign visitors.

Chai suggested that the water cuts should have been staggered and done over two days after the Chinese New Year holidays and another two days in May or June after the dry season.

Last week, it was announced that water disruptions would start on Dec 19.

Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) later explained that the water disruption is the result of a prescheduled preventive maintenance at the main intake substations belonging to TNB.

TNB had explained that a water cut was necessary as the Bukit Badong substations supplied electricity to the Sungai Selangor Water Treatment plants.

It was said that the plants would need to cease operations throughout the duration of the work scheduled between Dec 19 and 24.

The power company added that the maintenance, which takes place once in three years, was necessary to ensure unexpected power cuts do not take place in future.