The Malaysian Insight

WANGSA Maju MP Tan Yee Kew is set to lead 750 consumers in suing several parties, including water authorities, over unscheduled water disruptions that had affected them last year. 

She said they had suffered from these water cuts, sometimes as many as four times in a single month, causing them all kinds of hardships.

Some were kidney disease patients unable to undergo dialysis treatment as there was no water at the clinic, and hawkers who faced business disruptions. 

Tan, from PKR, told The Malaysian Insight she had been planning the suit for four months and has managed to gather about 750 plaintiffs, 70% of whom were residents in her constituency. 

She added that she has engaged several lawyers to act on a pro-bono basis to take the action against the Environment Department, Selangor Water Management Board, the Selangor government, the federal government and factories involved in polluting water sources. 

She said her legal team was now preparing the necessary documents for the suit and it will be completed in about a month. 

“We are not doing this to get compensation, but as a matter of justice. Water disruptions caused many losses, not just in terms of finance, but also on emotional wellbeing and mental health,” she said. 

Tan said, for example, a dialysis centre in her constituency could not operate due to the water disruptions. For patients who need dialysis treatment three to four times a week, the pause caused pain, vomiting and fainting spells. 

Other than that, she said, hawkers and residents have also joined in the suit. 

“Hawkers who have already bought ingredients but were unable to open their stalls, those who were unable to cook and had to buy food and water from outside, or those who had had their income affected such as losing their jobs. 

“More and more people are paying attention to matters involving environmental pollution and treated water supply. We are taking the case to court so the government and other relevant authorities cannot continue shirking their responsibilities and sweep the matter under the carpet,” Tan said. 

To allow low-income earners to be a plaintiff in the suit, individuals only need to pay between RM20 and RM50 in lawyer fees. 

She said she was happy many decided to join in the suit to pressure the authorities, even though their own personal losses were not great. 

“For many, the issue is not the legal fees, but the inconvenience in bringing such a suit forward. But if we do not bring these matters up, the country will not improve, and the status quo will remain, leading to the situation we are in today. 

“Our objective is to pressure those in power to do their job,” Tan said. 

She added that if people continue to be apathetic, the country will only get worse. 

Tan had on October 19 last year posted on her Facebook page she had set up a hotline for residents of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor to initiate legal proceedings for compensation over the disruptions. 

The lawmaker said those who had their lives affected, experienced pressure, or lost income could all claim for compensation. 

“If you run into any troubles, pressure, loss of income due to the repeated water disruptions, please join us in demanding compensation from the polluters, government agencies and companies,” she had said. 

In October last year, areas in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur experienced unscheduled water cuts four times within the span of a month. Before that, there were 18 instances of water disruption between March and August. 

According to the Air Selangor website, only two of those 18 disruptions were due to scheduled upgrading works. 

Among the remaining 16, five were due to pollution at raw water sources, while the rest were due to burst pipes. – January 4, 2021.