8 theSun | FRIDAY FEBRUARY 20 2009

news without borders

Govt delays Selangor water tariff review

by Maria J. Dass and Giam Say Khoon
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: The government has decided to delay the water
tariff review in Selangor following scrutiny by the National Audit
Department of the parameters for water concessionnaire Syarikat
Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) to justify the increase.
These include the revenue for the period from Jan 1, 2005 to
Dec 31, 2007 and billings, capital expenditure, bulk supply, non-
revenue water reduction and distribution costs for
the same period.
The Energy, Water and Communications Min-
istry, in a written reply to the Dewan Rakyat, said
that the tariff increase had been delayed to allow
the Selangor government to restructure the water
industry in the state by acquiring stakes in the water
concession companies.
State agencies hold a minimal share in these
companies and the state wants to increase its stake to ensure
consumers do not have to put up with scheduled tariff increases
as stipulated in the concession agreements.
In response to a question from Charles Santiago (DAP-Klang)
on whether the ministry plans to de-classify the audit report (on
Syabas’ operations), the ministry said: “In line with transparency,
the ministry has set up a Water Forum through which consumers
and interested parties can obtain
more information on the content of the audit report.”
Meanwhile, the Selangor government has accused National
Water Services Commission (SPAN) chief executive officer Datuk
Teo Yen Hua of pandering to the interests of four private conces-
sionaires in the dispute over the restructuring exercise in the
state.
Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said Teo’s move to negotiate
directly with the four concession companies was inconsistent
with the federal government’s decision on Jan 16 last year,
allowing the state government, through Kumpulan Darul Ehsan
Bhd (KDEB), to take over the operation and maintenance of
water assets from the concessionaires in a joint exercise.
“It would subsequently enter into a sale and leaseback of
the water assets from Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd (PAAB). The
state had made all efforts to ensure the restructuring exercise
is completed in a manner that benefits the people of Selangor
and Kuala Lumpur,” he told a press conference in the parlia-
ment lobby yesterday.

Zainon Ahmad at the Dewan Rakyat Press Digest

by Kong See Hoh
newsdesk@thesundaily.com

Best Najib govt will come with

seats in changes: Muhyiddin
UMNO vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassim says
Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak will make some changes

the House Toppled crane causes

HAD he succeeded in pulling it off on Sept 16 last year,
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would have been the prime
minister handing to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong the
speech that the monarch read at the opening of the
Parliament session on Monday.
However, the numbers failed him and Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was able to present
to the king the speech prepared by his government for
the sixth time – also the last as he steps down at the
end of next month.
Everyone knows this second session of the 12th
Parliament had begun earlier than usual to allow
Abdullah time to put in place more laws to those
already passed last December for his successor, Datuk
Seri Najib Razak, to complete the reform agenda he
(Abdullah) had declared he was embarking on when he
became prime minister on Oct 31, 2003.
After March, and having had all the appropriate laws
enacted, Abdullah could comfortably say it would no
longer be his fault if the reforms he promised
were not successfully implemented.
By then he would be just an ordinary MP
sitting among the backbenchers as the late
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putera and Tun Hus-
sein Onn did after they resigned their prime
ministership.
Already some sly betting is taking place
among several MPs as to which seat he would
occupy in the E Block from where he can di-
rectly look at the Speaker. The front three-seat
pew in the block is now occupied by Tengku
Razaleigh Hamzah (BN-Gua Musang), Datuk
Seri Ong Ka Ting (BN-Kulai) and Tan Sri Rafidah
Aziz (BN-Kuala Kangsar).
The pew behind is occupied by Datuk
Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn (BN-Alor Gajah),
Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid (BN-Padang
Besar) and Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis
(BN-Rompin).
One of the six is likely to be told to sit else-
where as the popular bet is that Abdullah may
be seated in the front pew either between
Tengku Razaleigh and Rafidah or with Ka Ting
between him and Rafidah.
There is also a bet that the six will remain
where they are, as will others. It seems they
are not assured by what the king said on
Monday that Abdullah “will hand over the
premiership to the deputy prime minister
next month”.
In fact, the six did not move in a
minor adjustment to seats as a result of PAS
adding one more seat to its earlier tally of 22
and the front benches losing former deputy
home minister Senator Datuk Wan Farid Wan
Salleh.
Abdul Wahid Endut, who defeated
Wan Farid in the Kuala Terengganu
by-election last month, was sworn in on Tues-
day. The tally in Parliament is now BN 137,
Pakatan Rakyat 82 and Independents three.
The first week ended with a few sugges-
tions thrown in on how to tackle the impend-
ing economic recession, other than what
Najib, who is the finance minister, had said
in relation to the second stimulus package
in his response to a question on the subject
from Alexander Nanta Linggi (BN-Kapit) on
Tuesday.
It seems only a few of our MPs are worried
about the forecast by economists everywhere
on the turbulent times ahead as the world
economy slides towards a “bottomless hole”,
with the chances of it bounding back this year
looking very slim.
Veteran oppositionist Lim Kit Siang (DAP-
Ipoh Timur) however, was pleased on Tuesday
– and showed it – when he got a revealing
answer from Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong
Lai in relation to dengue and the 112 deaths
it had caused last year and the havoc it was
still causing.
He exulted in the minister coming up
with a frank and detailed answer because
mammoth jam
GEORGE TOWN: A 30-tonne hydraulic
crane toppled on the Penang Bridge
while being used in the bridge’s
expansion work early yesterday
morning, resulting in choking traffic
that lasted until way past noon.
State government officials fumed
at the delay by bridge authorities
in clearing the fallen crane, that
tipped over at 3.10am, as thousands
of motorists were stuck on both
sides of the bridge. Two other
cranes were called in to lift the
fallen crane, which lay at Km3.6
of the Butterworth-bound side of
the bridge. The delay came about
when one of the two cranes that
had been brought in to lift the fallen
one, broke down. A fourth crane had
to be brought in to complete the
operation.
of the power of parliamentary questioning
and said the figure was the highest in the
number of deaths in the history of dengue in
the country. It could have been prevented,
he said.
On Wednesday, as a result of this power,
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Chor Chee
Heung awed the House when he disclosed
that the government had spent RM15.1 mil-
lion on security for the Kuala Terengganu
by-election last month, in which 3,376
policemen were deployed.
“Why so much? What’s the rational?”
asked Amran Abdul Ghani (PKR-Tanah
Merah). Chor’s response was apparently
unconvincing and many wondered out loud
whether the same sum was going to be
spent during the Bukit Gantang and Bukit
Selambau by-elections in early April.
Among the interesting questions
asked Wednesday was one from
Muhammad Husain (PAS-Pasir Puteh) who
asked Entrepreneurial and Cooperative De-
velopment Minister Datuk Noh Omar what
the ministry was doing to encourage local
entrepreneurs to replace Jewish marketing
chains in the country.
Another was from Datuk Ismail Abdul
Muttalib (BN-Maran) who asked Foreign
Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim on Thursday
what Malaysia was doing to influence
members of the Organisation of the Islamic
Conference into forming a military pact to
defend their sovereignty.
Meanwhile, veteran lawyer and MP Kar-
pal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) continued to
hound Chief Justice Tan Sri Zaki Azmi in the
House as well as outside for his allegedly
having said he had had to pay bribes when
he was a practising lawyer.
to policies and plans upon assuming the premiership to
restore the people’s confidence in the Barisan Nasional
government.
He said Najib had made it clear that he is prepared
to make the necessary changes to government policies
and their implementation.
Muhyiddin said the people were currently unclear
about their future and that of the country.
“But come March when a new leader takes over the
helm, the rakyat will no longer be uncertain about the
country’s future.
“On the contrary, new prime minister Datuk Seri
Najib Abdul Razak will clearly show the rakyat the
future course of the nation,” Muhyiddin was quoted as
saying in an interview with Sin Chew Daily.
On the current political hiccups, he said: “I believe
Najib has already thought out what to do in the next
four years to restore the people’s confidence (in the
government).”
Muhyiddin disclosed that Najib had studied various
issues such as the living standards of the rakyat and
the country’s economic performance, and intends to
make the government more people-friendly to ensure
that all Malaysians feel they are getting fair treatment
and that there is a place for everyone under the sun.
“In the past four years, we have been embroiled in
many a political brouhaha, and in the next four years
we will study carefully all our policies to determine if
changes are needed.”
Moreover, he said, many political leaders are of
the view that the BN needs a total makeover to stay
relevant.
Muhyiddin admitted that if the BN did not change
now, the going would get tougher. However, he said,
the emphasis was on improving the public delivery
system, which he believed the “new” government
would see through.
Three deputy minister’s
posts for MCA to fill
THE MCA will have to fill at least three deputy minister’s
posts in the next cabinet reshuffle, which is expected
when Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak
becomes the country’s chief executive after the Umno
elections next month.
Front-runners for the posts are wanita chief Datin Paduka
Chew Mei Fun, Kampar MP and central committee member
Datuk Lee Chee Leong and Negri Sembilan liaison chief Datuk
Yeow Chai Thiam, Sin Chew Daily reported yesterday.
It is believed that Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Kong
Cho Ha, the vice-president with the most of number of
votes in last year’s party elections, will replace Datuk Seri
Ong Ka Chuan as housing and local government minister
after Ong lost in his bid for the party No. 2 post.
Also tipped for a cabinet post is youth chief and Deputy
Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong.
Party sources said Ong is almost sure to lose his cabinet
post and that Women, Family and Community Development
Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen, too, may lose her post, al-
though the first woman to be elected a party vice-president.
It is learnt that Umno Wanita has indicated it wants the
women, family and community development minister’s post
back and there is a good possibility Najib might fulfil their
wish and offer MCA another post.
Sources said MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat
might make Wee a full minister, replacing Ng.