Penang water issue heating up

> Lim-Liang feud continues over proposal to increase rates

GEORGE TOWN: The feud between Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and National Water Services Commission chairman Datuk Liang Teck Meng shows no sign of abating.

Lim questioned why Liang continued to highlight a Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) letter dated Dec 23, 2016, applying for an increase in water rates.

He said PBAPP had withdrawn the application (in February this year) after his administration offered a soft loan to the water service provider.

“The state government wants to increase the water conservation surcharge, not to increase the water tariffs,” he told a press conference yesterday.

Liang, the Gerakan secretary-general, had claimed Lim continued to divert the issue after he was challenged to declassify the December letter three weeks ago.

His demand comes after Lim allegedly accused Liang of signalling to the federal government that Penang wanted to increase water rates in line with other states.

Lim, who is also the DAP secretarygeneral, however told Liang to “tell the whole picture and not part of the picture”.

On a separate issue, Lim expressed his doubts whether PAS leaders understood the explanation given by 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) chief executive officer Arul Kanda Kandasamy over issues surrounding 1MDB.

“There are many questions which are left unanswered. I would really question if the PAS delegation knows what Arul Kanda is talking about,” he said.

PAS deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man reportedly said the explanation on the 1MDB debt and its rationalisation plan was “satisfactory.”