Seruan Keadilan Online - Sunday, April 11, 2004 8:30 AM

Kenaikan tarif air tak menasabah: Rahman Othman

Privatised water supplier Perbadanan Urus Air Selangor (Puas) came under fire today for raising the water tariff for government quarters in Putrajaya by more than 70 percent.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (Keadilan) secretary-general Abdul Rahman Othman said the hike from RM0.70 per cubic meter to RM1.20 cannot be justified.

The tariff was raised following Puas reclassification of the government quarters from ‘flats/low-cost apartments’ (tariff code 18) to ‘apartments/condominiums’ (tariff code 17).

The opposition leader said flat-dwelling government servants do not enjoy condominium facilities such as swimming pools and gymnasiums.

"It is not proper to impose such hefty fees against residents all at once. With the price increase, the water bill may cost more than their rent!" he quipped, adding that residents currently pay between RM45 to RM90 in rental.

Abdul Rahman - who unsuccessfully contested the Putrajaya parliamentary seat in the general election - claimed the tariff hike was based on December 2003 revisions made to the water code under the Water Supply Enactment 1997.

However, the Utilities and Waterworks Department under the Prime Minister’s Department - which oversees such issues in the administrative capital - only informed residents via a letter on March 29 that the water hike would take effect in April.

"It is curious to (increase water prices) after the election, when the decision was already approved December last year," noted the Keadilan leader.

Contacted later, Puas senior manager for the Sepang district Mokhtar Atan said the change cannot be described as a hike, but rather that the company was previously remiss in classifying the quarters.

In fact, he stressed the newly-imposed code for the dwelling - at the rate of RM1.20 - should have been applied from the beginning.

In response, Abdul Rahman said while the law gives Puas the right to determine which building should come under tariff code 17 and 18 respectively, it is however unreasonable to expect those living in buildings without facilities to pay the same rate as those who enjoy those facilities.

He disclosed that Keadilan has sent a letter to Puas protesting the hike and added that he would meet with the residents associations there to initiate a residents’ watchdog group.