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Published: Tuesday May 15, 2012 MYT 3:34:00 PM

Chin: No power to ask Selangor water players to agree to revamp plan


SHAH ALAM (Bernama): Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui says he has no power to ask the water concessionaires in Selangor to agree to the water industry restructuring plan proposed by the state government.

“As a minister, I can only use my power to take over water supply from the concessionaires during an emergency, like there is a critical water shortage,” he said on Tuesday.

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said recently he hoped Chin would use his ministerial powers under the Water Services Industry Act 2006 to ensure the water concessionaires would agree to the state government's water industry restructuring plan.

Asked on a media portal report on Tuesday that Khalid would bring Chin to court for refusing to exercise his powers to break the deadlock in the water restructuring plan negotiations, he said: “It was up to him.”

Chin said that if the state government wanted to take over water supply from the concessionaires, it should be through negotiations under “willing buyer” and “willing seller” approach.

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