Consider giving ‘water shares’, says Lau

THE Selangor state government should consider giving the people “water shares” to ensure that the newly restructured state water industry is not run for profit.

Lau Weng San (DAP-Kampung Tunku) said this is to ensure Air Selangor, the consolidated water concessionaire wholly owned by the state, will not repeat the mistakes of past concessionaires.

“We in Selangor must acknowledge the lessons from the past and place Air Selangor on the right track,” Lau said during his debate on the budget.

He said it is inevitable that a concessionaire which is operating like a private company will try to maximise profit instead of prioritising the people’s needs.

Lau said concessionaires had in the past neglected water service quality in areas where the poor live in as it was not profitable for them.