Azmin to meet Ongkili on water supply industry restructuring next week

Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali will meet Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili next week to discuss Selangor's water supply industry restructuring.

Mohamed Azmin said state government officers headed by the state secretary had held discussions on the matter two weeks ago.

"... the state government really wants this and we welcome the federal government's intention to continue the negotiation, provided that it must comply with the terms and conditions of the original agreement," he told a press conference after opening Block A of the GM Klang Wholesale City, here today.

After the discussions between the Selangor and federal governments on March 23, Ongkili said the terms of the agreement to restructure the state water industry remained the same.

On the status of two land assets in Bukit Nanas and Semenyih involved in the master agreement, Ongkili said it would be determined after subsequent discussions between the two parties.

The Selangor government on Tuesday claimed that the federal government was trying to take over the entire 26,000 kilometres of water pipe assets including land even though it contradicted the master agreement on the water restructuring exercise in the state.

Mohamed Azmin claimed, as a result of the action by the federal government, the state government had called off the restructuring deal signed on Sept 12, 2014 before they agreed to renegotiate on March 23.

Commenting on the Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election, Mohamed Azmin said Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) had identified a suitable candidate.

However, he said the name would first be brought to the Pakatan Rakyat Leadership Council meeting before being announced.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia on Wednesday declared that the seat, held by PKR advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, fell vacant following the Pardons Board rejection of a petition for Royal Pardon over Anwar's conviction for sodomy.

Anwar, who is also opposition leader, is currently serving a five-year jail sentence for sodomising his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.