Selcat hearing on Splash acquisition unnecessary

SHAH ALAM: The acquisition of state water concessionaire, Splash, is still in the process of negotiation and a public hearing will not be necessary.
Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said the federal and state governments had agreed to refer the matter to independent international arbitration.
"I told the Dewan that the federal and state governments are still discussing it as we have not reached a consensus which is agreeable to all parties concerned.
"That is why the Cabinet decided to have an independent international arbitration to attain a fair price for Splash," Azmin told reporters outside the state assembly today.
He said the federal government informed the state government on Oct 7 that the acquisition of Splash be delayed six months to facilitate the arbitration.
Azmin said the state government had already decided last year to refer the matter to arbitrators and thus it wholly supports the federal government in this.
He was responding to Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim's (Independent-Pelabuhan Kelang) claim that the current offer of RM2.975 billion for Splash is vastly more than the initial offer of RM250 million.
Datuk Shamsudin Lias (BN-Sungai Burong) also tabled an emergency motion to refer the negotiation to the Select Committee on Competency, Accountability, and Transparency (Selcat).
However, the motion was rejected by the Speaker's Office as it was already explained in Azmin's Budget 2017 wrap up.
Azmin said the price was offered during Khalid's tenure as Mentri Besar and he had presented the documentary proof in the state assembly.
He then chastised Khalid for not being present in the state assembly during the budget wrap up, which is unbecoming of an elected representative.
"Do I have to invite him to the Dewan? Do I have to present a written, formal invitation for him to attend a sitting? It is his responsibility to appear as an assemblyman.
"He disappeared for almost a week. Just came and accused me of that. Why wasn't he there when I was wrapping up? That was the best forum as an elected representative to represent his electorate," Azmin said.
Selangor speaker Hannah Yeoh similarly said assemblymen should be present in the state assembly when their questions are answered after rejecting Shamsudin's motion.
Yeoh said motions like Shamsudin's waste the state assembly's time as matters that are often extensively answered during sittings will be brought up again by assemblymen who were not present.