Selangor should have already taken over SPLASH, says ex-MB

PETALING JAYA: The Selangor state government should have already acquired Syarikat Pengeluar Air Sungai Selangor Sdn Bhd (SPLASH), said Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.

The former Selangor mentri besar also claimed that his successor Datuk Seri Azmin Ali did not appear serious about it and that he was more concerned about paying the concessionaire RM2.7bil for the acquisition rather than solving the water problems in the state.

"It is negligence on the part of the state government. This negligence has given room to the shareholders of SPLASH to gain more profit until they have become this brave.

"A mentri besar should fight for the people, but one's movements might be restricted because you are too full to the point of vomiting," said Khalid in a Facebook post on Friday (March 9) night.

Khalid also reminded Selangor state assembly speaker Hannah Yeoh that he had raised the issue on the SPLASH acquisition to be taken to the Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) for discussion, but that she had rejected it.

"Maybe she felt that it wasn't important at the time. As a result, the people have to bear the consequences of leaders who act irresponsibly," he said.

Yeoh had blamed SPLASH for the water disruption in the state that affected more than 500,00 households, saying that the company should have been more equipped to handle such incidents.

"The management of SPLASH must take responsibility for their failure to prepare for all contingencies including the injury caused to the personnel at site. Arguably the degree of negligence (if any) and incompetence in the manner which the upgrading/repair exercise was carried out has to be thoroughly investigated.

"The buck stops with the top management of SPLASH and the people of Selangor expect stern action to be taken," she had said in a statement on Friday.