Selangor’s four-day water cut another failure and breach of rule of law

THE provision of basic amenities such as clean water supply is a necessity. This is the statutory duty of a state government. There is no excuse both in law and politics for failing to perform this duty.

The politicians from DAP, PKR, Amanah, etc often preach on “the rule of law”. Yet their failure in Selangor is a serious breach of statutory duty and the rule of law.

As a result, Selangor is in a state of major disorder.

The latest scheduled water cut as announced by Air Selangor affected 998 areas in the Petaling, Klang/Shah Alam, Gombak, Kuala Lumpur, Hulu Selangor, Kuala Langat and Kuala Selangor regions starting from 9am on Wednesday (Oct 13) and is expected to last until 9pm on Saturday (Oct 16). It could not have come at a worse time.

There may be reasons offered for the water cut this time.

However, Selangorians are fed up with Pakatan Harapan's (PH) administration of Selangor. Time and time again, crises loom.

Water cuts, floods, environmental pollution, rampant development approvals, dengue outbreaks, absence of a solid economic agenda to improve lives and livelihoods, etc. Something is definitely rotten in this state.

For the past few years, the Selangor water crisis has caused loss of revenue and access to basic amenities (the provision of which is the statutory responsibility of the state government).

Business operations especially “mom-and-pop” shops (small family-owned businesses being the feature of most towns in Selangor) have incurred losses in the millions.

Residents have to endure the relentless water crises that are totally unnecessary. If only there were better leadership and direction from the state government. However, there is none.

It is no surprise that the Selangor Mentri Besar and the state government’s popularity have fallen over the years.

Pictures by the MB’s spouse of their swimming pool and another of an Air Selangor water tanker purportedly at their home while Selangor and Klang Valley residents waited in queues under the hot sun to fill their pails from other water tankers did not go down well with the people previously.

Almost all PH leaders are stationed in Selangor and hold important government posts in the state.

Others are elected representatives of the people at state and parliamentary levels. Yet with such a strong presence, they have failed to deliver.

The big PH personalities have failed the people. It goes to show they are simply being politicians for the sake of politics. There seems to be no interest on their part (or are they simply not competent enough) to deliver to the people and build this nation.

A failure at this basic level of government and poor representation, which directly impacts people’s livelihood and lives, only goes to show a bigger failure if PH is again given the mandate to govern at the Federal level.

TAN GIM TUAN

Damansara MCA chairman

Selangor MCA Liaison Committee deputy chairman