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Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Making a mockery of people’s suffering – R. D. Nadarajan



Kee (not her real name) was 15 years old when it happened the great water disruption in 1998 – a 150-day water rationing exercise between April and September. Low water level in dams early in the year was attributed to the 1997-98 El Nino and major events that year.
Kee had to compromise her schedule for her PMR exam. Every day she had to prepare bucket and pails and any container she could lay her hand on to collect water when and if the water tanker comes. 
Her mother runs a food stall and the water disruption really messed up their income during that period not to mention their daily lives. 
“It was really traumatizing – your whole day revolves around ensuring we are all ready when the tanker comes. We did not have time for anything else including my studies” says Kee.
Kee is now 31 and lives in Klang and is a teacher. Last year on Chinese New Year eve – 2014, she found out that people in 36 housing areas in Kuala Langat were without water supply due to the shutdown of the water treatment plant (WTP)in Batu 11, Cheras and Bukit Tampoi in January. 
Later in February the same year, the Water Services Industry Commission or SPAN announced scheduled water disruptions (or rationing) for the state of Johor, Negri Sembilan and Selangor. The 2014 crisis was alleged to be the worst since the 1998 Klang Valley water crisis.
For Kee, it was 1998 all over again. She was one of the few million people who experienced the 1998 ordeal first hand and 16 years down the road go through the same ordeal.
What has changed over the years? Massive activities to restructure the water supply sector were set in motion with the implementation of the Water Services Industry Act (WSIA 2006) and the Water Service Commission Act 2006.
Why then did we face the 2014 disruption – did anything change at all?
People were looking for answers and thanks to the various versions of the situation reported by the media, people were and are still clueless of the situation.
When we heard today (March 10, 2015) that the ‘so called’ MoU between Selangor state government and KeTTHA has lapsed – are we back to the drawing board? What were both sides doing? What was the MoU for? 
Was it a public relations exercise to appease the public to get them of their backs and to be seen doing something – following the public outcry and widespread dissatisfaction among a more informed public and stakeholders? Where is the due diligence in the MoU by the Ministry (Energy, Green Technology and Water – KeTTHA), SPAN and the Selangor state government?
In pursuant of a developed nation status and the implementation of various transformation programmes, should not a sound water supply and sanitation services form the foundation on what economic growth and environmental protection be built upon?
Both parties must operate on the premise and principle that safe and clean water supply is a human right and that water supply system and infrastructure must never be politicised. 
Water supply and sanitation systems and infrastructure are not political pawns. If they are then it is among the most perverse act of human rights violation. We should have none of it.
Whilst governments have the responsibility to ensure that a country’s water supply and sanitation is sound and sustainable, people have to bear the responsibility of ensuring that waste in any form is managed in sustainable manner. Water bodies are not dumping grounds for their waste. Malaysia’s surface water accounts for around 97% of the raw water source used for treatment.
Poorly managed waste disposal system from point of generation to disposal is detrimental to our water supply and human health. People need to very mindful and sensitive to the needs of consuming water in a responsible manner.
Water operators should be competent in managing and efficient and effective operation and accept the fact that utilities services – most of all water and sanitation are not run for profit but for public good. Policy decisions that affect the general public must then be carried out through a meaningful public consultation process – not another PR exercise or through a one off campaign.
Everyone has a role in ensuring sustainability of the water supply and security from catchment to consumers or rather from catchment to consumers to catchment.
"It is now time to consider access to safe drinking water and sanitation as a human right, defined as the right to equal and non-discriminatory access to a sufficient amount of safe drinking water for personal and domestic uses. 
States should prioritise these personal and domestic uses over other water uses and should take steps to ensure that this sufficient amount is of good quality, affordable for all and can be collected within a reasonable distance from a person's home.", UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) - September 2007 Report.
- TMI

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