'Selangor water deal among top achievements'

PUTRAJAYA: Dr A. Xavier Jayakumar believes that the Water, Land and Natural Resources Ministry, despite the challenges faced, has performed admirably in his first year in office.

He attributed the performance to cooperation and chemistry between the ministry’s leadership and officers.

Asked to rate the ministry’s performance in his first year helming it, Jayakumar said: “I can tell you it is in the high numbers of seven to eight (out of 10) that we have managed.

“I thank my ministry’s KSU (secretary-general) and officers who have been very forthcoming,” he told a press conference held in conjunction with Pakatan Harapan’s first year in power.

“(They) have worked with me in the past year to ensure that the PH agenda is on the table.

“They have been working hard to ensure changes take place.”

Water, Land and Natural Resources  Minister  Dr A. Xavier Jayakumar. - NSTP/File pic
Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr A. Xavier Jayakumar. - NSTP/File pic

Jayakumar, however, acknowledged that PH’s main accomplishment was the fact that it had consolidated as a united front despite the huge task before it.

He cited challenges left from the previous administration, such as the national debt, corruption, alleged falsifying minutes of the Auditor General’s Report, as well as falsifying accounts.

“Being a loose coalition and for the first time coming together to form the federal government, we have worked well given the differences we had.

“Some are new, some are old, that is what we have achieved this past year as we move forward as a unit to make these changes a reality.”

He listed the handling of water issues, including the Selangor water restructuring deal, which was resolved in less than a month after his takeover, as one of the top three achievements of the ministry.

He said it was important to strengthen the water industry to manage and maintain the water companies to ensure Malaysians were provided with sufficient water supply throughout the year.

“Most states have agreed with my reasoning on why the water tariff must go up to strengthen the industry.

“We must understand that we have never paid attention to the water industries over a long period of time and this is a resource that we must be careful about,” he said.

He said the ministry had undertaken a study on rationalisation of the water industry and would announce the results by the year end.

In terms of water tariff, he said efforts were underway to compel the management and companies into being more transparent.

“As far as water is concerned, we are in touch with all the state governments.

“They agree with us that water basins should be protected and gazetted to the extent that there should not be any deforestation around the water-catchment areas, as well as buffer zones.

“We have initiated an educational programme to raise public awareness of the need to conserve water and respect our water sources.”

He said he was satisfied with the setting up of the minerals enactment as the country had rare resources that were in demand.

However, he said, it would take him another term to fully understand the mechanisms of the 18 agencies under his purview.

He said there was space for improvement, such as expediting the decision-making process and becoming more people-oriented and business-friendly.

Among the other achievements he highlighted were the Save Our Malayan Tiger Campaign, the goal to reduce the amount of non-revenue water by the end of the 11th Malaysia Plan, Tawau flood solution and groundwater development in water stress areas.

He said the ministry was engaging with non-governmental organisations related to wildlife and forestry and was ready to listen to their feedback.

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