KUALA LUMPUR - The Selangor government has hit out at Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd’s (Syabas) Tabung Budi fund as a public relations scheme run at the expense of the state and its residents.
The recently launched fund lets Selangor residents who wish to waive their right to free water pay for the 20 cubic metres they receive gratis from the state every month, valued at RM11.40. Syabas then uses the money collected to help other residents who have no access to clean water.
Characterising it as “theft from the people” and a “gimmick”, the Selangor government said today in a statement that collecting money from those who wish to pass their entitlement to those more deserving was akin to double-billing the state for the same water.
“Its (the fund’s) modus operandi does not make sense because the state government pays Syabas in full (for the free water), to the tune of RM11 million a month,” said Faekah Husin, political secretary to the Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.
“Syabas has no right to collect the 20 cubic metre subsidy from any individual, for that would mean Syabas is being paid twice for the same 20 cubic metres of water.”
The recently launched fund lets Selangor residents who wish to waive their right to free water pay for the 20 cubic metres they receive gratis from the state every month, valued at RM11.40. Syabas then uses the money collected to help other residents who have no access to clean water.
Characterising it as “theft from the people” and a “gimmick”, the Selangor government said today in a statement that collecting money from those who wish to pass their entitlement to those more deserving was akin to double-billing the state for the same water.
“Its (the fund’s) modus operandi does not make sense because the state government pays Syabas in full (for the free water), to the tune of RM11 million a month,” said Faekah Husin, political secretary to the Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.
“Syabas has no right to collect the 20 cubic metre subsidy from any individual, for that would mean Syabas is being paid twice for the same 20 cubic metres of water.”
Faekah said that if the water concessionaire really wanted to help those with no access to clean water, it should just provide free water to those in need and not claim full payment from the state government.
She urged individuals who wish to pay for their subsidised water to instead “return” the money to the state government and not Syabas.
Faekah also stressed that Syabas should first sort out its own books before it embarked on any corporate social responsibility drive. She said any such effort should begin with the appointment of an independent auditor to determine a “reasonable” wage for Rozali, whom she claimed earns RM5.1 million a year.
“Syabas’s audit report showed that more than 72 per cent of contracts awarded by Syabas, worth RM600 million, were awarded directly without open tender and carried out without transparency,” she said.
“Not only that, a difference of RM325 million emerged when Syabas’s public accounts were compared to records of the contracts that were awarded. Where has this money gone?”
She said records also showed that Syabas undertook renovation works at its offices worth RM51.2 million even though the Selangor Water Regulatory Department (JKAS) only approved RM23.2 million for the job.
In addition to that, the audit report showed that Syabas had violated the conditions of its concession agreement when it awarded a RM375 million contract in June 2005 to buy pipes from an Indonesian company, Faekah said.
This was despite the fact that the agreement requires Syabas to use only locally made pipes.
“There is evidence to show that Tan Sri Rozali owns the Indonesian company in question,” Faekah added.
“We hereby urge Syabas to stop using the (Tabung Budi) scheme as a mask to hide its mismanagement. If Syabas really wants to help the people, it should return water rights to the people of Selangor.” - Malaysian Insider
MC
01/11/10
She urged individuals who wish to pay for their subsidised water to instead “return” the money to the state government and not Syabas.
Faekah also stressed that Syabas should first sort out its own books before it embarked on any corporate social responsibility drive. She said any such effort should begin with the appointment of an independent auditor to determine a “reasonable” wage for Rozali, whom she claimed earns RM5.1 million a year.
“Syabas’s audit report showed that more than 72 per cent of contracts awarded by Syabas, worth RM600 million, were awarded directly without open tender and carried out without transparency,” she said.
“Not only that, a difference of RM325 million emerged when Syabas’s public accounts were compared to records of the contracts that were awarded. Where has this money gone?”
She said records also showed that Syabas undertook renovation works at its offices worth RM51.2 million even though the Selangor Water Regulatory Department (JKAS) only approved RM23.2 million for the job.
In addition to that, the audit report showed that Syabas had violated the conditions of its concession agreement when it awarded a RM375 million contract in June 2005 to buy pipes from an Indonesian company, Faekah said.
This was despite the fact that the agreement requires Syabas to use only locally made pipes.
“There is evidence to show that Tan Sri Rozali owns the Indonesian company in question,” Faekah added.
“We hereby urge Syabas to stop using the (Tabung Budi) scheme as a mask to hide its mismanagement. If Syabas really wants to help the people, it should return water rights to the people of Selangor.” - Malaysian Insider
MC
01/11/10
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