Sumber: Bernama | Thursday, March 27, 2008

SHAH ALAM, March 26 (Bernama) -- While the energy, water and communications ministry has described as valid, the water deal inked by the former state government and Puncak Niaga Holdings Bhd -- a day before the general election -- the menteri besar wants to know if the deal is fair to the people of Selangor.

Yesterday, the minister, Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor said the agreement stood, unless the National Water Services Commission (SPAN), as the regulatory body, decided to nullify it.

On March 7, the agreement was signed by the former state government and Puncak Niaga Holdings Bhd for the operation and management of a raw water collection and treatment plant in Sungai Sireh, Tanjung Karang.

However, Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said: "It can stand, but I think consumers will also want an assurance from Datuk Shaziman that it is a fair deal to the people.

"If it is not a fair deal to the people of Selangor, I will ask the Selangoreans to write letter to Datuk Shaziman that it was not done in the best interest of the people."

He said this at a press conference after chairing the first state executive council meeting since a coalition state government took over Selangor from the Barisan Nasional (BN) after the recently-concluded general election.

Abdul Khalid also said that both the federal and state governments had the power to review the agreement.

Asked how he would go about the agreement, he said: "From my experience in the corporate world, the agreement needs to be restructured."

He declined to elaborate as it involved negotiation, but said that although the deal was inked by the previous state government, it was the duty of the current (state) government to review it.