Syabas sues S'gor MB Khalid and PJ Utara MP Pua (Updated)

Published: Tuesday February 15, 2011 MYT 2:55:00 PM
Updated: Tuesday February 15, 2011 MYT 6:12:41 PM

By WANI MUTHIAH

SHAH ALAM: Water distribution concessionaire Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) has filed defamation suits against Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua.
They were served the writ of summons on Feb 11 and the case was heard at the Kuala Lumpur High court Monday, when both were given a month to enter their defence.
Khalid told a press conference Tuesday that he was being sued for the state's criticism of the Syabas Budi Fund.
Under the fund, Syabas collects money from Selangor residents who are willing to relinquish the 20 cu m of free water, valued at RM11.40, provided by the state government.
Syabas, which claims that about RM350,000 has been collected to-date, says it uses the money to help those with no acess to proper water supply in the state.
Khalid had said the fund violated the concessionaire's agreement as it resulted in Syabas receiving double payments, as the state was already paying the concessionaire for the free water supplied to Selangor residents.
Pua, who was also at the press conference, said he was being sued for merely stating in an article in a Chinese daily that if water concessionaire companies could not settle their debts, they should return the rights to manage the state's water to Selangor.
Khalid said the defence for him and Pua was already underway.
"Our lawyers have been instructed to prepare our defence. I will be represented by Edmund Bon while YB Tony Pua has appointed Gobind Singh Deo," said Khalid.
Meanwhile, Klang MP Charles Santiago said Syabas had sent him a letter of demand on Jan 13.
"They sent me the letter of demand over my statement in a Chinese daily that the company was making too much money from water disconnections," said Santiago.
He said he had alleged that Syabas had made about RM 50mil since 2005 from water disconnections.
However, there was no follow-up on the letter of demand by Syabas, said Santiago.
Both Santiago and Pua are on the Selangor water panel, which was set up to facilitate the state taking over its water industry from Syabas, Puncak Niaga Sdn Bhd (PNSB), Syarikat Pengeluaran Air Sungai Selangor Sdn Bhd (Splash) and Konsortium Abass.

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