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Praying to God for water

The National Front government in Malacca, in power since 1957, mismanaged water resources so thoroughly that the chief minister, Dato' Ali Rastam, is reduced to ask his people to pray to God for water. The state faces a water shortage every decade; the enormity of it first known three decades ago. Amidst a flurry of statements and promises, the negotiations between federal and state authorities became tortuous and self-serving that nothing was done. When the water shortage last hit the state in 1991, Kuala Lumpur and Malacca woke up in fright, and narrowed its options to two: build a water dam in Gemencheh, in Negri Sembilan, for raw water which Malacca would refine; or in Jus, in Malacca, with its own refining plant. Both should have been built, but neither was. Instead, as a temporary measure, MMC was given the contract to build a pipeline to pipe in water from Muar. Now Muar faces a water shortage. But this is typical of how a matter is unresolved until it cannot be.

Six years ago, serious effort began to build the dam. But the cost rose from RM100 million to RM470 million. When the DAP state assemblywoman questioned this sharp increase, the state government dragged its feet from then on. But the state was more concerned if Koperasi UMNO could be a partner in the consortium building it than the state's needs. When it called for tenders, the then finance minister, Tun Daim Zainuddin, objected to that. He wanted a close tender confined to three companies controlled by cronies. And directed that the contract be given to a company called Roadbuilders. Roadbuilders, like many a Bolehland conglomerate, has no experience in building water dams. It had been given the contract to build the pipeline across Malaysia's Central Mountain range to pipe in water from Pahang to Selangor, but it remains unbuilt. Todate, nothing has been done. Meanwhile, the Perbadanan Air Melaka's (Malacca Water Board) serious concerns of a water shortage were second guessed by the state and federal governments, and the matter left to fester.

Now, Malacca is on the throes of yet another water shortage. This is but a tip of the iceberg. The PAM calculated years ago Malacca would not have water for its needs next year. But state and federal authorities ignored it. Roadbuilders got the contract only last year, when it should have been a few years earlier; despite the seriousness, work has not started. If work had started then, next year would not have been waterless. Reality has now struck. The chief minister calls on God to intervene. The National Front faces a political problem. If general elections are held next year, as is possible, it could amidst the expected water shortage, the opposition parties could get a fillip. The opposition never made any headway in the state assembly, and the National Front had full run of it and the state without any legislative opposition since 1955.

The resulting arrogance assumed that it held all the answers, that it knew what the people wanted, and the opposition is an irrelevant inconvenience. When times were good, it did not matter. When what it did did not affect the pockets of the citizens, it did not matter. One cannot do without water. The state knew the problem was serious a decade ago. Yet, the National Front dragged its feet. Even if all stops are pulled to build the dam, it would not be ready for a few years, and not after water rationing becomes a way of life. What gives the National Front in Malacca a little breathing space is the diffused opposition, busier fighting against each other than the National Front. But people in Malacca and, in the rest of the country in later years, must live with constant water shortages because the National Front thought running the country and the states on autopilot would automatically ensure that nothing further needs be done.

M.G.G. Pillai
pillai@mgg.pc.my