Pakatan in swift move to publicise water campaign

Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng today announced to hold a forum themed as “Return Water to The People” next Monday at KL and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, where speakers such as Teresa Kok, Tony Pua, Tan Seng Giaw and Fong Kui Lun are expected to rally behind the State Government’s manifesto to acquire the Selangor water concessionaire Syabas.

Lim said many KL dwellers are unaware of their water supply being exploited by Syabas.

“If Selangor Pakatan manages to acquire the water concessionaires companies, KL and Putrajaya residents will also be benefited,” he said.

He added that the KL and Selangor DAP will be conducting forums on the water campaign every night throughout Selangor until it successfully garners 100,000 signatures to hand in a petition to Yang di-Pertuan Agong on December 5.

Lim also pointed out that every government is obliged to provide public infrastructures such as electricity and water to its people.

“However, our (federal) government is allowing a privatized company to make millions profits out of people, while the company’s CEO is being paid with the salary of RM450,000 a month,”

The campaign was launched by Selangor senior exco Teresa Kok last week to consolidate support from the rakyat and the ruler behind state government’s bid to take over Syabas.

When asked who is funding the forums, Lim said the KL forums will be footed by KL DAP, but he was unsure of the situation in Selangor.

Teresa Kok later told Komunitikini that the State Government is sponsoring the Selangor forums as the water campaign was initiated by the state leadership.

Meanwhile, Selangor state education exco Dr Halimah Ali had briefed 52 students from 31 religious schools about the campaign today.

The event that took place at her office in Shah Alam also saw Dr Halimah exchanging views with principals and parents teacher associations’ (PTA) chairmen in bid for their commitment  to advocate the campaign in their respective schools .

Dr Halimah also handed out the petition forms to the 31 students and various organizations under her purview.

Under the current agreement, Syabas is scheduled to raise the water tariff by 20% in 2012, 15% in 2015 and 10% for every three years after 2015.