KUALA LUMPUR: The government should allow Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) to replace 40-year-old water pipes, Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) president Datuk Marimuthu Nadason said yesterday.

"If the federal and state governments continue to freeze the water pipe replacement programme, consumers will suffer as it could cause water supply disruption and affect the quality of water," he said at a press conference after the launch of "Follow@puspel on Twitter and Facebook" at Syabas.

Syabas executive chairman Tan Sri Rozali Ismail said the programme, which started in April 2008, was discontinued in June the same year.

"All main projects have been put on hold as Syabas and other water supply and treatment companies are going through a migration and restructuring process.

"Soon, we will be placed under Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara, an agency with the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry."

He said Syabas had so far replaced 1,600km of pipeline of the 20,000km proposed in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

 
Rozali hopes the government will not delay the programme and let Syabas change the water pipes before they are corroded.