AHLI PARLIMEN AMPANG TERLALU BERPOLITIK

Baru baru ini saya terbaca kenyataan Ahli Parlimen Ampang, Zuraidah Kamaruddin yang disiarkan dalam akhbar Suara Keadilan. Beliau dengan tegas mengingatkan Syabas agar tidak berkomplot dengan BN dengan mencipta krisis bekalan air berikutan masalah gangguan bekalan air yang berlaku di kawasan Ampang dan Gombak  baru baru ini. Sebagai Ahli Parlimen, kenyataan sedemikian sebenarnya menyerlahkan lagi sikap sebenar Ahli Parlimen itu yang begitu cenderung untuk mengambil kesempatan. Mempolitikkan isu air yang melibatkan kepentingan orang ramai dengan menolak kebenaran memang kelebihan yang ada pada beliau menandingi kecerdikannya berfikir. Lebih malang lagi apabila dalam keadaan kecemasan seperti itu beliau sendiri tidak melakukan apa apa untuk membantu rakyat di kawasannya yang turut terjejas selain hanya pandai menuding jari.  Gangguan bekalan air berlaku selama 4 hari di Gombak dan Ampang baru baru ini diberitakan berpunca dari paip besar pecah akibat banjir kilat.  Kenyataan lengkap dilaporkan oleh media massa, jelas dengan gambar dan visual di kaca TV. Masalah pada Zuraidah dan golongan pembangkang ini ialah mereka tidak menonton berita TV, tidak membaca akhbar, dan lebih parah lagi ialah beliau tidak turun padang menyaksikan sendiri apa yang berlaku walaupun ianya melibatkan kawasannya sendiri.  Tidak hairanlah kalau beliau tak tau apa apa mengenainya. Dengan ertikata lain beliau tidak menjalankan tanggungjawab sewajarnya sebagai wakil rakyat di kawasan itu.

Bayangkan kalau BN dan Syabas merekacipata krisis ini, sebenarnya siapa yang rugi? Sebagai rakyat biasa, saya sendiri boleh mencongak kerugian yang terpaksa ditanggung oleh Syabas apabila masalah gangguan bekalan air ini berlaku.  Apatah lagi apabila ianya melibatkan jumlah pengguna yang besar sehingga mencecah hampir setengah juta orang. Maka, dengan sengaja mencipta krisis adalah tindakan yang paling bodoh kalau itu dilakukan oleh SYABAS. Selama 5 hari air tidak dibekalkan melalui meter berapa banyak penyusutan pendapatan berlaku? Syabas juga hantar air dengan lori tangki dengan percuma berlori-lori jumlahnya, kakitangan terpaksa bekerja lebih masa, berhadapan pula dengan keji, fitnah dan cacian, ini belum mengambil kira kos kerja baik pulih dengan anggaran yang besar.  Bagi BN pula kejadian ini mengundang kecaman seperti yang dilakukan oleh Zuraidah walaupun mereka sendiri tidak kena mengena dengannya.  Adakah dalam tempoh hampir dengan PRU13 ini BN sanggup mengambil risiko dengan merekacipa sesuatu yang boleh merugikan mereka.  Kepada Zuraidah, saya nasihatkan beliau agar berfikir sebelum membuat kenyataan.  Sepatutnya dalam keadaaan krisis seperti itu, beliau mengambil langkah langkah proaktif, turun padang, melihat apa yang berlaku, berbincang dengan Syabas untuk membantu rakyat di kawasannya yang terlibat, memanggil mana mana agensi Kerajaan negeri yang boleh membantu penduduk dan apa apa tindakan yang selayaknya dilakukan oleh seorang wakil rakyat.  Bukan dengan hanya pandai melontarkan tuduhan, mengatasi kebijaksanaannya berfikir dan bertindak.

ANAK KIYAI

Sah Isu Air Selangor Memang Tujuan Politik

Kuala Lumpur - Suasana masih kekal sebegitu. Senario bekalan air bersih Negeri Selangor masih di tahap kritikal apabila bekalan air terawat masih tidak mencukupi lebih kebih lagi apabila permintaan memuncak akibat cuaca panas. Kejadian gangguan bekalan air yang berlaku disekitar Kuala Lumpur adalah akibat kekurangan rezab bekalan air bersih menyebabkan usaha untuk memulihkan bekalan mengambil masa yang panjang. Ini jelas dinyatakan oleh Syabas dalam kenyataan akhbar yang dikeluarkan. Dalam beberapa minggu yang lalu Kerajaan Selangor begitu keras menuduh Syabas yang sengaja mewujudkan krisis bekalan air. Kata Kerajaan Selangor Syabas gagal turunkan kadar NRW menyebabkan air tidak cukup. Syabas dituduh gagal senggara pam menyebabkan bekalan air terputus. Syabas dikecam dan didakwa tidak mempunyai kepakaran menyebabkan pengguna tidak dapat air. Apa yang pengguna mahu jalan penyelesaian. Penyelesaian yang konklusif. Penyelesaian sepertimana diketengahkan oleh kerajaan pusat. Namun kerajaan selangor tetap berdegil dengan kemahuan mereka untuk mahu ambil alih syarikat syarikat yang ada sebagai jalan penyekesaian. Tanpa perihatin keatas derita rakyat bila air tiada. Kini isu air jarang disebut di bibir pemimpin Kerajaan Selangor walaupun isu jauh dari penyelesaian. Sekarang mereka sebok bercakap padal Lahad Datu. Begitu hebat seperti bagaimana hebatnya mereka menuduh kerajaan pusat membela kroni dan tidak endahkan rakyat selangor dalam hal air. Pada saya gelagat mereka seperti isu kekura ngan bekalan air di Selangor bukan penting lagi. Cerita krisis air sudah basi. Jika ini yang berlaku memang benar apa yang diperkatakan mereka sengaja menggunakan isu air bagi tujuan politik. Perjuangan mereka semata-mata untuk meraih sokongan semasa pilihanraya umum yang akan datang. Begitu juga namoaknya pasal isu Lagad Datu. Dipanas-panaskan semata mata untuk tujuan pilihanraya bukan simpati kepada rakyat Sabah dan keluarga perajurit yang gugur mempertahankan kedaulatan negara.

Air Selangor: The Whole Truth

FREELITTLEBRAIN: Forestry and Environmental Perspectives in Light of Liberalization of Services Industry

FREELITTLEBRAIN: Forestry and Environmental Perspectives in Light of Liberalization of Services Industry

THE INFLUX OF EX-HIGH RANKING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO THE OPPOSITION FRONT

For the past several years we have seen many ex high ranking government officials migrated to the opposition fronts in term of their political belief and struggle. These officials were the true believers and preached the policies of BN's through out their tennure as the implementors as well as decision makers when they were paid for the job. No doubt that political belief is ones' own choice and preference but the suddent twist the moment they left the government create big question marks in majority of the Rakyat's mind, at least that is what I feel. Bear in mind they are still enjoying pension payment from the same government they are against now. I am Merdeka born Malaysian and I have no opportunity to serve the government in my working career up to now. I wish I could have that. The reigning political fronts that run this country has done so much and has transformed so much to meet the changing lanscape of the people's wish and expectations. And bear in mind too these high ranking officials were there to help planned, developed and execute the changes. If they were the true believers when they there why not now? If they werethe champion when they were there why pulling back the effort now. I believe their expertise are even more neededto help building the nation to what is desired. I do not say the reigning government is perfect and without tiny flaws. No one is perfect except Allah SWT. One may start wondering whether they were sincere when they were there or merely doing it for the sake of saving their job, for the sake of protecting the lucrative benefits they were enjoying. Something is not right. As written by many before me, something is not right at all. Some wrote saying that they werecoaxed to the manner they are acting now because of some promise they feel is too good to refuse. If this is so then what many said about them has some truth it it. If even they believe there are needs to change or improve by thegovernment they used to call it as their master, is that a need to run against them now? I believe numerous platforms have been laid for them to continue engineer the changes, after all these officials are still the experts. Be with the younger officials replacing them to continue build the nation. Guide them. I believe ones do not necessarily need to hold position to continue giving hands to support. After all these people are still enjoying the benefits from the government. Allah bless Malaysia. Allah bless 1Malaysia....

WORLD'S SHORTEST ESSAY

This is a story of a 16 year-old boy from New Hampshire, England who won the World's Shortest Essay competition. He was awarded a scholarship at the University of Harvard for his imagination and humour.... Here's an example of absolute brilliance.... Shortest Essay: An English university creative writing class was asked to write a concise essay containing the following elements: 1) Religion 2) Royalty 3) Sex 4) Mystery The prize-winner wrote: 'My God,' said the Queen, 'I'm pregnant. I wonder who the father is'.

Valuing Water Resources

Water is an essential commodity that has economic value, so the value of a small/basic amount for survival is infinite—people would pay any price.  Water is a commodity that has an economic value when people are willing to pay for it, rather than go without. However, after basic needs are met, people buy water based on its price compared to other goods they might buy. Water’s value is then refers to willingness for the people to pay for water. It is observed when people make a choice between different products: How much will a household pay for drinking water? How much will a farmer pay for irrigation water? How much will a factory pay for clean water? 

Water value provides critical information for decisions about efficient and equitable allocation of water among competing users, both within the present generation and future generation. SNA (System of National Accounts, a conceptual framework that sets the international statistical standard for the measurement of the market economy), values water at price of transaction.  However the price charged by water suppliers—if any—often unrelated to value of water, too low. Water price often does not even reflect full costs of water supply!

Water is not supplied by competitive markets due to natural characteristics necessary for human survival and its natural monopoly of public good. Thus there are several concerns about using economists’ ‘non-market valuation’ techniques in valuation of water resources when we want to determine the accuracy of water values because the requirements are very high, so valuation is costly, the value is often uncertain, very sensitive to assumptions, the results are often presented as a range of values rather than a point estimate, a single value.

The concepts of value that is consistent with the SNA is the concept that measures market values, or sometimes cost of production. Water values highly site-specific, dependent on local uses, as well as season, water quality and reliability. Thus, if the State Government of Selangor plans to restructure the public water tariff for the treated water, it has to be studied carefully and debated exhaustively taking into considerations the SNA concept and approaches.

The water tariff in all the States in Malaysia were developed based on common intent and purpose, although it differs in the quantum and absolute amount. If one is to look into it carefully and objectively, the existing water tariff structure that are multi-tiers serves to create awareness and provide education as well as developing prudent water consumption. The existing water tariff structure is also a platform for corporate and social responsibilities by the organization managing the water supply. The charge in some of the multi-tiers water tariff structure is much lesser than the cost of procuring the treated water to the consumers. Thus it provides regulated water subsidy especially for the poor. The existing water tariff structure is also a platform for providing efficient services to the consumers.

It is therefore may not be sensible to restructure the existing water tariff in the State of Selangor especially  with a quantum reduction as it is already has a balanced objectives between recovery of costs; enhanced consumer services; community and social contribution; and reserves for future development and viable ROI. Any disruption in this equilibrium will cause severe impact on any of each component that make the balanced objectives.