Forget Air Lengkong, Sellling Air Longkang Pays More

This morning I got up to take my wudu' (yeah well, not portraying I'm the epitome of piety, but hey! a girl's gotta try, meh) and as usual, my first attempt at being pious for the day is ruined the minute I turn on my tap. I gag, as the smell of the water hits me...my kid describes it as "bau macam air turtle kita"...well, the turtle did escape but I think it is was too tiny to make it up to my water tank three stories high...

Anyway, as I say the Basmallah, in my heart, I'm cursing that Rozali fella. I tell you, turning over a new leaf is hard with all these people placed in this world specifically to irritate me (I can hear Satan chuckling...or is that schizopherenia? Devious fella, you... can't tell the difference sometimes...coz a person seems sane and respected enough to run the great United States of America and yet order the annihilation, maiming, suffering of millions and sleep well at night after being feted by the world. Now those are the real psychos...the ones who hear voices , or so-called schizos are usually harmless, you just see them walking around aimlessly and looking lost, they don't bother nobody...the ones who really should be locked up are running countries and have their finger on the nuclear button! Funny ek?)

Back to my failed attempt at piety. Who is this Rozali? All this while I thought it was the other Rozali, the suave, older one...take a guess lah... who happens to have a mistress set-up somewhere near where I live (and I LOOOOVEEE that apartment she is set-up in, complete with remote controlled blinds, man!...some women have all the luck, and all they have to do is lie on their backs, or simply kneel - no, no...NOT in prayer... - for a man). Nope, ain't him.

This Rozali I'm cursing every morning and evening as I again turn on the tap to prepare dinner for my kids and get brackish water despite the 3,000 ringgit filter outside is a young uptart, Tan Sri Rozali Ismail, the Executive Chairman of Puncak Niaga Holdings Bhd and Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor...the water concessionaire holder for Selangor...you have my curses, day and night, free of charge. Because Israel isn't controlling my water supply, I would expect that of them. You are my fellow citizen meh, in this free, democratic nation of Malaysia.

By the way, to melencong again, it seems we have FOUR water concessionaires for Selangor alone...yup, spread the loot, the murkier the water!

Just before the general election, the federal government mandated state-owned Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Berhad (KDEB) to lead discussions with the four water concessionaires – Syabas, Puncak Niaga (M) Sdn Bhd, Syarikat Pengeluar Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (SPLASH) and Konsortium Abbas Sdn Bhd – to take over water management in Selangor.

It must be noted that at that time, both state and federal governments were run by the Barisan Nasional (BN), which was why there was no issue with the state leading the negotiations.

Fast forward to today and Selangor is controlled by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) which was given until March 31 to deal with the concessionaires. However, even before the deadline is up, the federal government derailed negotiations.

The National Water Services Commission (SPAN), which was set up to supervise the consolidation of water and sewerage services in the country, decreed on Feb 18 that Pengurusan Aset Air Berhad (PAAB), a vehicle of the Minister of Finance Incorporated, would negotiate directly with the concessionaires, leaving the state government out in the cold.

This Rozali gets, now get this...5.1 million ringgit in allowances...well at least for 2007...dunno how much he got for 2008...kena tunggu Annual Report lah...all for supplying AIR LONGKANG! And he said last week,

"If Syabas wanted a professional to run it, then they should be able to pay for it."

Muahahaha...I wish, I were as entrepreneurial and cock(y). Darn. A case of angkat bakul sendiri. Overrating himself.

Here, take a read just how entrepreneurial he is (well, I may not always agree with Terence, but this particular article, I am sure, millions of us can agree with meh...especially those who have to take wudu with TURTLE WATER daily):

WATERY GRAVE FOR A BASIC RIGHT

We have the National Water Services Commission, we have the Pengurusan Aset Air Berhad, but, do we have coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment with regards to the polluted rivers and the mismanagement/wastage of existing resources and the overdevelopment of our catchment areas? As usual, a compartmentalized, divide and rule effort which bears no real fruit. Only fruity people.

This report from a WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN MALAYSIA conference in 2002 is a still highly relevant piece suggesting how everyone can get involved/contribute towards managing our precious resource. But then ultimately, nothing can work without a government truly committed to the well-being of the people and not to lining the pockets of a few.

Excerpt:

Malaysia is a country often inundated with excess water/floods (Chan 1995) and misconception amongst policy makers with regard to the water resources base is a major issue (Chan 1998a). Certainly, the majority of those in charge are of the opinion that Malaysia has no water shortage problems (until the water crises that hit Melaka in 1991 and again in 2002, and Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Penang in 1998). Based on abundant rainfall, a person in Malaysia has access to more than 20 times the water available to someone in Yemen! Yet, ignorance amongst policy makers with regard to total available water resources has contributed to water crises in many parts of the country.

A crash course on the water cycle here for the clueless and the professional-types like Rozali. Macam tu, saya pun nak run water concessionaire...get paid 5 million and who cares where the water comes from, or if there will be any water to supply later, itu bukan masalah saya, meh...itu jabatan lain.

Btw, SPAN (Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara) should be renamed S.P.O.N.G.E (as in sucking up national resources)