Put aside political differences to resolve Selangor water restructuring issue - Najib

Prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak hopes that the Selangor government will put aside political differences to resolve the water restructuring issue in the state.

He said this was because the federal government always placed the interest of the people and ensure the future of the state of Selangor in resolving the water issue faced by the state.

"We should put aside politics and give priority to the welfare of the people," he said, adding that Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamad Azmin Ali had met him recently to resolve the issue.

In his speech at the Iftar Gathering of the People of Selangor at the Bandar Rinching Mosque today, Najib said the federal government had resolved the water project from Pahang up to Selangor, as well as the Hulu Langat Water Treament Plant 2 with an allocation of RM2 billion during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in February.

However, he said, the state government had revoked the agreement and came up with alternative proposals such as drilling for underground water and so on.

"In the end, what has happened to the once-touted underground water? Ask the people of Selangor. In Bandar Kesuma, they complained that they experienced water disruption for nine days and this area (Bandar Rinching), three, four days without water (supply).

"What's the point of having development or a bungalow when there is frequent water supply disruption and not being assured of consistent supply of water?,"he asked.

Najib said due to political differences, some of the federal government's proposals were stunted.

He also praised Selangor UMNO liaison chairman Datuk Seri Noh Omar for raising the water issue in Parliament.

"I hope the agreement between the state government and federal government will be signed in the near future...we have wasted precious time.

"However, we need the approval of the state government and finally they agreed to accept our proposal and this project (water supply restructuring in Selangor), I hope will secure the future of the state," he said.

Given the unresolved water issue, Najib said most investors could not complete their housing projects because there was no guarantee of water supply in Selangor.