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Span throws spanner into S’gor govt water takeover bid

Anil Netto
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Just when you thought the Selangor government was taking a commendably tough position in its negotiations to take over water assets from four private concessionaires ahead of a water tariff hike from April…

Now we hear that the federal National Water Services Commission (Span) is trying to bypass the Selangor government in negotiating directly with the four concessionaires. Why?

The Selangor government had given the concessionaires until 20 February to accept its Letter of Offer. But before that deadline can expire, Span has potong jalan.

Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim said in a statement today:

Instead of supporting the State Government’s initiative to buy back these water concessions in the interest of the rakyat with our fair and reasonable offer, (Span CEO) Dato’ Teo (Yen Hua) appears now to be pandering towards the interest of private concessionaires. We urge that he declares his interest on the matter. If any irregularity is found, we call for his resignation.

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“I am starting a canopy rental business”

Anil Netto
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Canopy rental in Kuala Terengganu: RM6 million

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Scores of police vehicles were on standby during the Kuala Terengganu by-election campaign

Here’s the bill for the deployment of 3,376 police personnel during the Kuala Terengganu by-election (as reported by Bernama with my comments in brackets):

  • Travelling and living allowance – RM2,700,000
  • Foodstuff and accommodation – RM4,500,000
  • Dried food and beverages – RM65,000 (Dried food? Do they mean snacks?)
  • Communication and utilities – RM50,000
  • Canopy rental – RM6,000,000 (Sounds like a good business, no? Some of these canopies even had airconditioning.)
  • Fuel and spare sparts – RM698,000 (Does this include helicopter fuel?)
  • Raw material and others – RM310,000 (Raw materials? Huh? What raw materials?)
  • Maintenance and minor repairs – RM830,000 (Doesn’t sound ‘minor’ to me! Helicopter maintenance included?)
  • Total expenditure incurred by rakyat – RM15,153,000

Blog reader Ganesh from KL is thinking of quitting his job:

This figure is utterly shocking in an environment of economic downturn. Is this how the BN-led government conserves money during an economic downturn? If the police alone can spend RM15 million on such a small election, what was the final bill for all government agencies during the whole by-election?

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More deforestation as timber export target doubled?

Anil Netto
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Najib has launched a new National Timber Policy, which hopes to double timber exports to RM53 billion by 2020.

In line with this, the government has just given out RM30.3 million in loan instalments to eight companies under the Forest Plantation Development Programme. These include companies such as Shin Yang, which is one of the largest natural timber concessionaires in Sarawak with over a million hectares.

Interesting concept, this: public money lent to timber companies at low interest rates, no doubt.

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Zambry and his exco suspended – now what?

Anil Netto
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Perak Speaker V Sivakumar springs a major surprise Photo by Amiruddin

Is it a stalemate now? Or checkmate…

Perak state assembly speaker V Sivakumar has reportedly suspended Zamby (18 months) and his six exco members (12 months) from the state assembly.

How can the state government function if the exco is barred from attending  state assembly proceedings?

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Privatisation failure spurs S’gor govt to take over water

Anil Netto
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10

Selangor is in the midst of crucial negotiations to take over the water assets of four concessionaires operating in the state.

The negotiations are critical as Selangor residents are staring at a steep water tariff hike by the end of March if the present situation persists.

Private water distribution company, Syabas, 70 per cent owned by Puncak Niaga, had last year asked for a tariff hike by January 2009. In December, the Water Minister Shaziman Abu Mansor said that according to the concession agreement, water tariffs in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur would be hiked by up to 37 per cent in January 2009.

This tariff hike was delayed to 31 March 2009 to allow time for the Selangor government to take over the water assets from the four concessionaires.

Under the lop-sided concession agreement, water tariffs are expected to be hiked as follows:

  • Up to 37% in 2009
  • 25% in 2015
  • 10% in 2019
  • 5% in 2021
  • 5% in 2024
  • 5% in 2027
  • 5% in 2030

Source:  Background Note to Public Briefing by the Water Review Panel, Selangor State Government

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Puncak Niaga spent RM11m on directors in 2007

Anil Netto
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UPDATED 2.30PM: Let’s take a quick look at Puncak Niaga, one of the main water concessionaires in Selangor.

You can see that the firm is making huge profits. (Profits for 2006 were higher as there was a gain arising from the partial disposal of a subsidiary of RM206m in 2006.)

The group had close to a billion ringgit in deposits, cash, and bank balances as at 31 December 2007 and a net current asset ratio of 1.2. In other words, very liquid.

Syabas, which is 70 per cent owned by Puncak Niaga, received a government grant of RM250 million (that’s our money) “solely for the purpose of financing the costs and expenditure of the non-revenue water” to reduce unaccountable water loss.

The federal government also provided a support loan (current carrying amount close to RM80 million) to finance construction of the Wangsa Maju water treatment plant. It was originally repayable over 20 years (from 1999) at 8 per cent interest rate. But in 2004, the federal government “restructured” the loan: the interest rate was reduced to 3 per cent per annum retrospectively and the repayment schedule revised. How thoughtful.

Having made super profits with the help of public money, Puncak Niaga is now asking for a higher price than what the Selangor government is prepared to pay (RM1.6 billion for Puncak Niaga and RM1.5 billion for Syabas) to nationalise water assets in the state.

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Large crowd in Klang for ceramah on Perak crisis

Anil Netto
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0044: Revised estimate of crowd size is 3,500-4,000, according to organisers, who say there were 2,500 inside the hall and the rest outside – difficult to estimate accurately as lots of people going in and out during the ceramah. A couple of you, however, are saying the turnout was just 1,000.

2220: The crowd has now swelled to 6,000, according to organisers.

2100: Some 3,000 people have turned up at the Dewan Hamzah, MPK in Klang tonight for a Pakatan ceramah on the crisis in Perak. Among the speakers are Khalid Samad and Charles Santiago.

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Public briefing: Selangor’s takeover of water

Anil Netto
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Here’s your chance to make your voice heard.

The Selangor state government is holding a public briefing on the status of its takeover of the water sector in line with its ‘merakyatkan ekonomi Selangor‘ policy aim of realising a ‘welfare state’.

It’s the first time a public briefing on the status of the water sector “restructuring process” is being held.

Wed, 18 February, 11.00am
Auditorium Dewan Jubli,
Bangunan SSAAS, Shah Alam.

Members of the Water Review Panel of the Selangor state government will brief the public. Among the speakers are economists Subramaniam Pillay and Charles Santiago.

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Images from the RPK ISA trial

Anil Netto
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Photos by a citizen reporter providing us with live coverage

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Supporters wait anxiously outside court

Puncak, Gamuda fall as S’gor bids to nationalise water

Anil Netto
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The Selangor government is attempting to take over the water assets from the concessionaires in the state, namely Puncak Niaga, Splash, and Syabas. The state government wants to nationalise the inefficient water sector – and prevent a 30 per cent tariff hike from April.

The concessionaires, on the other hand, are asking for a much higher price, based on discounted cash flow (of future profits) and future tariff hikes assuming the concession is allowed to continue.

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