GEORGE TOWN: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng should stop diverting the public’s attention from the issue of the water tariff hikes or hide behind the state’s water company.
Gerakan secretary-general Datuk Liang Teck Meng said Lim should take up his challenge and in the name of transparency, disclose all letters between the state government and the National Water Services Commission Malaysia (SPAN).
He said this was so that the public could know who was right and who was wrong.
“Lim had defamed me by saying that I had indicated that the Federal government was forcing state government to raise its water rates.
“If I am being slandered, should I not have defended myself by pointing out that it was the Penang government that had first put in a large scale and broad water tariff increase request in December last year?” he asked in a statement issued today.
On Monday, Lim had said that SPAN had wanted all states in the nation to increase its water rates
He said the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBA) had initially applied to SPAN to increase water tariffs on December 23 last year, but later withdrew it on February 21 this year.
Lim also alleged that SPAN, on April 25, wrote back to PBA, “objecting strongly” over its withdrawal.
He said that SPAN wrote another letter dated June 23 to PBA, informing them that its plans to increase Water Conservation Surcharge would “not generate sufficient revenue for PBA and that a water tariff increase should be considered”.
Liang said he found it strange that PBA has come out to defend Lim over the matter.
“Why can’t he (Lim) take responsibility for his baseless accusations and fight his own battles?” he said.