Selangor MB doing things right

The solution to Selangor's water woes is in sight. I am talking about the Langat 2 water treatment plant, the sale of privatised water companies in Selangor to the state government and the statements from the Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister and the Selangor Menteri Besar.

It has been more than four years since the parties started haggling over the valuation and structure of the state government's takeover of the privatised entities.

On the valuation side the solution is quite simple: the MB knows the fair value with respect to the level of investment. The fact that investors had not been "prudent" or deliberately allowed for overpricing of the costs whether in construction or maintenance should not be used in depressing an otherwise fair market price for the water systems in place.

What is important for Selangor is the ability to manage and operate an efficient water system without further delay. If Selangor were to build the system from scratch, the state government may end up paying more than the investors' asking price.

The investors and the federal Government should also acknowledge that the MB knows what is best for Selangor. They should accept the structure of the buyout that he proposed as he has the state's interests at heart.

He won the state for the Pakatan Rakyat with more seats in the State Assembly not because he could draw thousands to his ceramah or mesmerise voters with his oratorical skills.

He was able to win because the people trusted him to manage the state government properly. If the opposition had chief ministers or candidates for such posts like him they would likely retain and win more state governments in the next General Election.

Let this "water cooperation" between the opposing political parties in Selangor be successful so that the interests of the state and the rakyat are protected. Any fruitful cooperation between state and federal governments belonging to different parties is a good precedent.

That is why I am keen to see the new menteri besar of Kelantan pay a courtesy call on the prime minister and Umno's representative in the state, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohammad.

The rakyat would be happy to see both protagonists sitting down together to seek a solution to Kelantan's water and sewerage problems, for example.

They could also talk about the much-needed, four-lane highway from Kuala Krai to Kota Baru, which can get built if both sides cooperate. Or they could just have coffee and talk about anything to bring back civility and a sense of friendship into politics.

I have been advocating political civility and engagement for many years now, without much success. I am willing to continue pushing this theme because Malaysia will be divided politically for a long time coming and the days of the two-thirds majority are over.

Cooperation is the only way forward; otherwise, we will be faced with stalled and abandoned projects while some states will be neglected altogether.

We will then have an economic and political mess in our country. The earlier we accept this reality, the better off everyone will be. - August 22, 2013.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.