DO WE SMELL RAT WITH WATER PRIVATIZATION PROJECTS???
New Energy, Water & Communication Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik announced on Monday 19th. April 2004 that the Govt would put on hold all water privatization projects until further notice & pending the setting up of the Water Resource Council which would carry out a study of the country's water resources.
It sure indicate a good reason why the new Ministry is doing so and I'm certain we should be relooking into the many privatization schemes the previous administration had embarked on, which fails to consider the future imposed cost on the public & the implementation aspects of the system in relation to the benefit of the Rakyat, the viability of the scheme based on what the cost will be that the Rakyat will be forced to bear by the operators, including the learning cost and mistake costs that will ultimately be superimposed into the billing & payment system, and whether the project is awarded to an efficient & effective corporation who do have the necessary financial strength & capability to fund the privatization throughout the years to come. Often those corporation, after being given the concession will first & foremost lobby EPF to give them good big-amount of soft loan to fund the project and it includes funding the other costs and needs of those political cronies related to the water-project procurement exercise.
National Water Association deputy president Tan Sri Rozali Ismail who is also the executive chairman of Puncak Niaga Holding Bhd, owner of 70% stake in SYABAS, the company undertaking the water privatization in Selangor, KL & Putrajaya called on the Govt not to hold back the privatization of water supply in Selangor & KL because the States are currently facing water problems. "We're concerned about the public. The State Govt do not have enough funds for water project," says Rozali. I hope he really mean what he says and he did say it from his heart, not the mouth only!!! Jangan Cakap Tak Serupa Bikin.
The IWK privatization debacle and the pain and extreme charges the public had to bear are fresh in our mind & soul. The public always had to bear the excesses caused by the system of crony-privatization, and greedy-entrepreneurs who had plow the wealth out of the economic system for the benefit of the selected few, at the expense of the majority citizens who pay taxes to fund those few crony-capitalist who had amazed billions for their families.
Since the deputy president of MWA had spoken, can the well-respected president also speak up on the issue, or is the deputy speaking on behalf of MWA???? Tan Sri Omar, the immediate past-president of MWA should also speak up on this issue as he is the man who have the credibility to stand up for the people, the rakyat of Malaysia, especially the poors.
Apart from Puncak Niaga, Ranhill is also seeking clarification on their water-privatization project in Sabah. Ranhill had earlier sought govt aid to make water business viable by proposing to increase water tariff and to provide cheaper source of loans, & maybe, get EPF to foot the bill (I suppose so). The reasons for the proposed increase in tariff was because Malaysians are capable to pay more as their average income had been increasing.
So, if any Malaysians had improved their income, it seems they had to contribute their increase income for those corporations and their CEOs, who had been given the privatized project. Allah & Pak-Lah, "PLEASE HELP us to clean these shits & the shit-system you had inherited"!!!!!!
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