Billions spent to improve Selangor water supply service, but where did it go?

Over the years, the Pakatan-led Selangor state government and Air Selangor have spent voluminous sums of money to improve the water supply service under the Capital Work Investment allocation. However, every local in Selangor can testify about the intermittent water disruptions which continue to plague the state. Are there any particular reasons why the money spent did not reach its intended effect?

Since Pakatan Rakyat took over Selangor in 2008 (and subsequently Pakatan Harapan), several billions of Ringgit have been spent to upgrade the water supply pipelines and address river pollution problems, yet Selangor continues to face recurring water disruptions.

Starting in 2008, Air Selangor used 10 years to reach a resolution in 2019, whereby Air Selangor bought the water treatment concessionaire from Syarikat Pengeluar Air Sungai Selangor Sdn Bhd (SPLASH) for RM2.55 billion, becoming the sole concessionaire for Selangor water supplies overseeing all water related works in Selangor.

From 2011, in the 8 years under Air Selangor, the Capital Work Investment included waste water treatment plant upgrade, Non-Revenue Water (NRW) reduction plan, asset maintenance, and water supply system upgrade works, involving a sum of up to RM2.49 billion as detailed below:

2011: RM117 million

2012: RM149 million

2013: RM249 million

2014: RM166 million

2015: RM165 million

2016: RM292 million

2017: RM401 million

2018: RM446 million

2019: RM501 million

Aside from Capital Work Investment, the state government has also allocated RM200 million under the 2021 Selangor Budget for the river pollution problem in Selangor, utilising methods such as biotechnology treatment, specialized PANTAS team, 24-hour monitoring and patrol along the Sungai Selangor and Sungai Langat, implementation of the HORAS 600 system, and taking raw water samples from Semenyih area (Pond C). Selangor MCA will be keeping a close eye in the following year whether or not these measures will be effective in changing the status quo.

In the past 8 years, a substantial sum of money has been allocated by the Pakatan state government towards addressing the issue of water supply. But, did the situation in Selangor improve? The people of Selangor have the answer.

Dato’ Ng Chok Sin
MCA Selangor State Liaison Committee Chairman

-MCA Online-