Noh Omar slams Khalid over water issue

Selangor Barisan Nasional (BN) deputy chairman Datuk Seri Noh Omar today slammed the attitude of Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim for questioning every effort made by the federal government to resolve the water supply issue in the state.

He said the latest, Abdul Khalid wanted Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) to explain in detail the measures to be taken with the additional allocation of RM120 million channelled by the federal government to the water concessionaire.

"What's his rationale to want all this? Instead, they should together help solve the problem. The federal government has given an additional allocation (to Syabas), besides a loan of RM345 million to the state government to tackle the issue.

"So, there' no need to question too much, but for Syabas and the Selangor government to together resolve the water issue fast, and not point fingers and twist the issue," he said at a press conference.

Noh, who is Tanjung Karang MP, had earlier handed out aid, the SVTB1M (RM1,000), to each of 445 non-pensionable Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) veterans from Kuala Selangor, Sabak Bernam and Tanjung Karang.

Noh, who is also Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister, said not all issues could or should be politicised as there were those, especially involving basic necessities, which should place serving public interest as the prime agenda to prevent the situation from worsening.

"Enough of politicising and twisting facts on the water issue. Previously, they (opposition-led state government) made a lot of noise when the federal government did not allow restructuruing of the water industry. When we allowed it, other issues arose and they even prevented Langat 2 from being built. So, what now?"

Abdul Khalid in a media statement on Sunday, questioned Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's approval of the RM120 million allocation for Syabas to solve the water supply issue and also asked Syabas to provide details on the expenditure using the allocation.

On the another note, Noh urged MAF veterans to narrate to the younger generation, their struggles in fighting for the country's independence and then against insurgents, so as to imbue nationalistic spirit in the young.

"The veterans have sacrificed for the country since decades ago, and yet we have people who are blind to history and praise Chin Peng and his Communist Party of Malaya," he said.