16 theSun | MONDAY NOVEMBER 3 2008

Move will further burden people, says exco man coffers.

“At present, Perak ranks
second after Penang in
providing cheap water rates
this company,” he said.
“This company has the
power to impose high charges
on the local councils for

Perak says ‘no’ to at 70 sen per cubic metre

to consumers. However, if
the Board is privatised, then
consumers may have to pay
double the present rate,”
he said of the privatisation
proposed by the previous BN
undertaking the services which
will in turn compel the local
councils to raise assessment
rates to offset the high
expenditures caused by this
company,” he said.
“The company can also

federal initiatives
state government. impose heavy penalties on
On the move by the federal the rakyat ranging from a
government to implement minimum fine of RM10,000
up to a RM100,000
whereas under the
Under this Act, the conces- present council

by Humayun Kabir
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
IPOH: The Perak state government
will oppose the three initiatives by
the federal government which it feels
will add to the financial burden of the
people.
State executive councillor Datuk
Ngeh Koo Ham (pix) said the three
federal initiatives the Pakatan Rakyat
state government opposes to are
the privatisation of the Perak Water
Board, the implementation of the
Solid Waste and Public Cleansing
Management Act 2007 from January
next year and the inclusion of
sewerage charges to water bills.
Ngeh, who is state Finance,
Infrastructure, Public Utilities, Energy
and Water Committee chairman,
urged all Perakians to stand united
and support the Pakatan Rakyat
government’s move to oppose the
unilateral move taken by the Barisan
Nasional (BN) government to further
tax the people during this period of
economic uncertainty in the country,
through these initiatives.
Ngeh said the state government
opposes the move to privatise the
profitable Perak Water Board which
contributes good revenue to the state
sionaire company is given the system, the penalty
for, say littering, is
monopoly to take over most of the only RM250,” he told
local council services like rubbish reporters after a two-
collection, grass cutting and drain hour meeting of the
cleaning and the local councils will Perak Water Board,
chaired by Mentri
become mere revenue collecting Besar Datuk Seri
agents for this company.” Mohammad Nizar
Jamaluddin recently.
the Solid Waste and Public Ngeh said the state
Cleansing Management Act government is against the
2007 from next year, Ngeh federal government’s move
said it will further burden to allow Indah Water to
ratepayers as the local include sewerage charges in
councils will be forced to raise consumers’ water bills.”
assessment rates if the Act is Ngeh alleged that the move
enforced in the state. is purely to help Indah Water
“Under this Act, the collect sewerage charges by
concessionaire company making all consumers pay
is given the monopoly to Indah Water service charges
take over most of the local together with their water bill.
council services like rubbish “The DAP legal team has
collection, grass cutting and filed a case in the High Court
drain cleaning and the local against this move by the federal
councils will become mere government and is awaiting the
revenue collecting agents for outcome of the case,” he said.

Phase one of
Penang Sentral
ready by 2013
GEORGE TOWN: The first phase of the RM2 billion
Penang Sentral transportation and logistics hub in
Seberang Perai is expected to be completed by 2013.
‘A+’ Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB)
proposal director Datuk Ahmad Ibni Hajar said a part of the first
phase, comprising a bus terminal and hawker centre,
for has already been built and is ready for use.
Port Vale “We are trying to get hawkers to come and set
pg 18 up their businesses in the area,” he said, adding that
the allocation for the hawker stalls will be left to the
Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) to decide.
He said bus operators are expected to begin plying
from the bus terminal by mid-November.
“This will be done in stages. Currently, only Rap-
idPenang is operating from the hub,” he said, of the
557,418 sq m project, being developed by MRCB and
Pelaburan Hartanah Bumiputra Bhd.
The hub, which integrates rail, ferry, monorail and
land transport modes, is built on the site of the But-
terworth ferry terminal, railway station and former bus
terminal which burnt down in May 2001.
Ahmad told reporters this after distributing 300
sets of school supplies to needy school children from
SK Dato Kramat, SK Kampong Jawa and SK Bagan
Jermal at the Young Leaders Campaign programme
here recently.
The schools are under the MRCB ‘Promoting Intelli-
gence, Nurturing Talents and Advocating Responsibility’
(Pintar) School project.
At the function, 12 students from the three Pintar
schools were awarded the Anugerah Cemerlang Tokoh
MRCB 2008 for outstanding achievement in studies and
extra-curricular activities.

New fares for buses, taxis

PUTRAJAYA: New fares
for buses and taxis will be
announced early next year,
Entrepreneur and Cooperative
Development Minister Datuk
Noh Omar said yesterday.
While ensuring that the
new fares will not burden the
majority of users, he said the
government will also give
equal consideration to public
transport operators.
“While the government does
not wish to see the closure of
any public transport company,
I have been informed by the
Small-Medium Enterprises
Bank Bhd (SME Bank) that
many bus companies are
currently facing difficulties
in settling their debts,” he said.
– Bernama