KUALA LUMPUR: The Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry (KeTTHA) has dismissed a viral message claiming that the water disruption in the Klang Valley was an act of sabotage by the federal government.
It has since emerged that the fake news item was first used in 2013 and 2014.
KeTTHA secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Zaini Ujang, in a statement today, said the dirty tactic was an attempt to distract from the Selangor government’s incompetent management of its water industry.
“The water reserve margin in Selangor in 2017 was at zero per cent, which was identified as among the main factors behind the state’s water problems.
“In the event of a burst pipe, damaged water treatment plant or sudden increase in water demand, such as during festive seasons, there is a high possibility that certain areas in Selangor would experience water disruptions,” he said.
The viral message, bearing the words ‘Edisi Kantoi’, showed an image of a water pipe and text claiming that the water disruption was an act of sabotage by the federal government. It also claimed that a Puncak Niaga staff and water treatment plant workers said the authorities had closed off 20 main pipes supplying water to trigger the wrath of the public against Selangor’s Pakatan Harapan government.
Zaini said, water rationing is the main indicator is measuring the expertise level of Selangor’s water service. The PKR-led state has, to date, recorded the highest number of water disruption cases (259,537 cases in 2016) compared to 3,778 cases in Penang and 2,267 cases in Melaka.
Zaini said the solution to Selangor’s water crisis can be done via three mechanisms.
This, he said, involves having a bigger supply of treated water by building new water treatment plants, as we;; as reducing the state’s loss of non-revenue water from the present rate of 32 per cent to the national target of 25 per cent.
“The final mechanism is by reducing the use of water per capita in the state, which stands at 234 litres per capita daily, to the national average of 209 litres per capita daily.”