SELANGOR BAKAL HADAPI KRISIS AIR MENJELANG 2014

KENYATAAN AKHBAR

20 JULAI 2010

PROJEK PENYALURAN AIR MENTAH TIDAK PERLU DISEGERAKAN

SHAH ALAM: Kerajaan Selangor mengambil berat hasrat Kerajaan Persekutuan untuk menyegerakan pelaksanaan Projek Penyaluran Air Mentah Pahang-Selangor (PPAMPS) walaupun anggaran kosnya telah meningkat dari RM2 bilion kepada RM8 bilion.



Selangor berpendapat Kerajaan Persekutuan terlalu terburu-buru untuk melaksanakan PPAMPS dengan hanya berdasarkan unjuran bahawa akan berlaku krisis bekalan air jika projek ini tidak dimulakan sekarang.



Ini jelas apabila Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin dan Menteri Tenaga, Air dan Teknologi Hijau, Datuk Seri Peter Chin Kah Fui baru-baru ini, menuduh Selangor sengaja melengahkan pelaksanaan PPAMPS dan memberi amaran bahawa Selangor akan dipersalahkan jika berlaku krisis bekalan air pada masa akan datang.



Adalah dipercayai bahawa kedua menteri tersebut telah dikelirukan sehingga mempercayai bahawa krisis air akan berlaku pada 2014.



Nasihat yang diperoleh oleh Kerajaan Selangor dari pakar industri air dan juga kajian berdasarkan pertumbuhan penduduk, jumlah penggunaan air dahulu dan sekarang dan kapasiti pengeluaran air, bekalan air yang sedia ada sekarang ini mampu menampung keperluan di Lembah Klang sehingga 2019.



Kerajaan Negeri sedar projek ini ada kebaikannya, namun ia tidak perlu disegerakan tanpa mengambil kira pemahaman menyeluruh industri air termasuk proses penstrukturan semula industri air Selangor. Kami percaya masa yang sesuai untuk projek ini dilaksanakan adalah pada 2015 atau 2016 dan jika ia dipercepatkan tanpa kajian, kos itu akan meningkatkan beban hutang Kerajaan Malaysia.



Sehubungan itu, Selangor menyarankan Kerajaan Persekutuan memberi keutamaan kepada alternatif lain dan tidak terlalu mudah melaksanakan projek mahal menggunakan wang rakyat.

Pertama, mengurangkan pembaziran air dengan mempromosikan kitar semula air, mengumpul dan memproses air hujan yang boleh dilakukan secara bersama kerajaan Persekutuan dan Selangor.



Kedua, sumber alternatif air yang boleh diteroka seperti air sungai, tasik dan memperkenalkan teknologi air bawah tanah. Ketiga, dengan mengurangkan kadar air tanpa hasil (NRW) dari 35% kepada kurang 20%, seperti yang berjaya dicapai oleh syarikat air Pulau Pinang.



Keempat, sistem penghantaran air yang cekap adalah penyelesaian terbaik bagi menampung permintaan pengguna. Oleh itu, perlu dipastikan air di utara Selangor dihantar dengan cekap ke wilayah selatan.



Selangor mengamalkan pengurusan kewangan berhemat, bijaksana dan berharap Kerajaan Persekutuan turut melakukan perkara yang sama. Selangor meminta Kerajaan Persekutuan melakukan kajian menyeluruh, analisis, statistik secara terperinci mengenai pengeluaran air, penggunaan dan permintaan berdasarkan fakta dan angka berbanding membuat keputusan tergesa-gesa yang melibatkan wang pembayar cukai.

TAN SRI DATO SERI ABDUL KHALID IBRAHIM
DATO’ MENTERI BESAR SELANGOR

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PRESS STATEMENT

JULY 20, 2010

PAHANG-SELANGOR WATER TRANSFER SHOULD NOT BE RUSHED

The Selangor Government is concerned at the manner in which the Federal Government is promoting the Pahang-Selangor water transfer project.



The Federal Government intends to proceed with this project that had an original estimated cost of RM2billion but which has now escalated to an estimated RM8billion in total.



The decision to take up this project was based on the Federal Government's projection that there would be insufficient water produced to meet the growing consumption demand in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.





The Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Dato' Seri Peter Chin and the Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Sri Muhyiddin Yassin have recently accused the Selangor government of delaying land approvals for the related projects, blaming the State for any future water shortage crisis.



We believe that the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister may have both been misled into believing that there will be a water shortage crisis by year 2014.



The Selangor government has consulted several experts and based on our calculations of population growth rate, past and present water consumption rates, current production capacity, and water levels in the dams, there would be more than sufficient water supply to meet the demands of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur consumers well up to the year 2019.



While the Selangor government is convinced of the project’s need, we also believe there is no need to treat this project as a priority nor in a hasty manner without regard for a holistic understanding of the water resources in Selangor, including taking into consideration the water restructuring process.



We also believe that other alternatives should be prioritised instead of giving a large, lucrative construction contract like the Pahang-Selangor water transfer.



First, there is tremendous wastage of water currently and not enough is being done to promote the recycling of water including rainwater harvesting. Second, alternative sources of water should also be explored, namely water from rivers, lakes and underground water technologies.



Third, there is a need to reduce the current high Non-Revenue Water (NRW) rate from 35% to below 20%, as achieved successfully by the Penang water company. Fourth, better inter-connectivity of water supply is the real solution needed to address demand shortage, by ensuring water in the north of Selangor is transmitted more efficiently to the southern region.



The Pahang-Selangor water transfer may be necessary in later years, and given a lead-time of three years for construction, the Selangor government recommends that implementation should only begin in year 2016. If the project is rushed into, the cost would incur further national debt which it cannot afford given Malaysia's current balance sheet.



The Selangor Government as always practices and calls for prudent financial management. We call on the Federal Government to conduct thorough research and detailed statistical analysis on water production, consumption and demand before fast-tracking a decision that would ultimately implicate all taxpayers in Malaysia.

TAN SRI ABDUL KHALID IBRAHIM DATO’ MENTERI BESAR SELANGOR