SHAH ALAM: The Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry (KeTTHA) has rejected Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali’s claims that several politicians have instructed civil servants to use Selangor’s water crisis as an issue to attack the state government.
The ministry’s secretary-general, Datuk Seri Dr Zaini Ujang, said his previous statements on the Selangor water crisis was done in a professional manner and based on facts.
“Civil servants being used (by politicians)? This is a false claim. I am a civil servant and I am under no instructions from any politician. I’m also not a politician.
“What I spoke on with regards to this issue is true and the state government has to accept the views put forward by the ministry,” he told reporters after officiating the McDonald's`Scale for Good' programme in Setia Alam.
He was commenting on Azmin’s claim that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had used civil servants to use the water crisis as a tool to attack the PKR-led Selangor government.
Azmin was quoted as saying that Zaini, as a civil servant, should not bow to pressure exerted by any politicians, and should act professionally and with integrity.
Azmin’s statement came about after Zaini had said the former appeared to lack understand the concept of Selangor having a zero water reserve margin.
Zaini had explained that a water reserve margin isn’t about whether the state’s dams have water or otherwise, but refers to the rate of water supply which can be channeled should any areas face disruptions.
Elaborating further, he said the Selangor water crisis will worsen if the state government still refuses to carry out a migration process for its water industry, despite the ministry having reminded the Selangor administration of the importance of the move.
“For example, if a taxi which usually operates 10 hours a day is forced to run for 16 hours a day, what happens then? What happens if this taxi is used in this manner over the next five years?
“The same applies to water treatment plants which have to operate at higher capacities than they were designed for. They will break down. So it’s important to upgrade the existing infrastructure,” he said.