THE areas under the Sg Semenyih water-treatment plant encompassing the areas of USJ, Puchong, Seri Kembangan dan Serdang have been severely affected by complete disruption since 10am Saturday.

For many residents in these areas, this is certainly not the first time. In fact, this is the fifth or sixth time. The suffering that water disruption causes to people is totally underestimated by policymakers.

Cooking, washing, bathing and drinking are disrupted and when these cuts are unscheduled, the effect is extremely severe, especially for big families.  

This is made worse when this water cuts occur at or near festive seasons, disrupting family gatherings and celebrations.

Additionally, as families are unable to cook at home and seek to purchase cooked food, often these shops are closed. There have even been reports that medical procedures have been postponed or the patient directed to go to another hospital because of unavailability of water. People suffer when there are water cuts. People really suffer.

On the third day (today), the water cut has still not been resolved. It was reported in The Malaysian Insight that the Menteri besar said yesterday that the water supply will resume at 11pm. It was not true.

It was also reported in the Star, that the MB said Selangor expects the affected areas to recover by late Sunday night.  That was again not true.

Residents is some areas were informed that the water tanker would arrive at their housing area last night. They never did.  Families waited the whole night with pails outside their homes to collect some water for their families.

The tankers never arrived – not only had they lost their sleep, they never got the water that would have helped in a small way to overcome their suffering,

At the time of writing this article this morning, the situation remains the same.

What is really shocking is the statement by the Selangor MB that “water supply disruptions this year were not unusual”, “our record is four or five water supply disruptions. Maybe this year there was wider media coverage, but there are not that many cuts”.

It appears he is okay with four or five water cuts per year. It only seems worse due to “media coverage”.

This reflects how far the gap is between suffering consumers and policymakers. They consider the cuts actually okay and “not unusual” while each water disruption brings tremendous suffering to  the rakyat.

With this kind of crass attitude, Selangor consumers cannot expect the water situation to improve next year.

The National Water Commission (SPAN) vision is to provide, “a reliable and affordable water service for all”. After every crises, its standard operating procedure (SOP) is to make a statement that “strict action must be taken against the perpetrators”. Then it goes to sleep until the next crises. SPAN, wake up – prevent the next crises. 

The way water is being managed in Malaysia, with consumers frequently carrying buckets to collect water and waiting outside their homes for the water tanker, it appears more that we are becoming a low-income developing nation rather then moving towards a so-called developed nation status.

In their obsession with all the so-called highly visible projects like buying the toll companies and building man-made islands, policymakers appear to neglect the basic needs of the rakyat.

Fomca sincerely hopes that the suffering of the rakyat will cause politicians and policymakers to focus on the needs and aspirations of the rakyat, at least starting with water. – December 23, 2019.

* Paul Selva Raj is CEO of Fomca.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.