KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 11): As the Oct 5 deadline looms to finalise the takeover of Syarikat Pengeluar Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (SPLASH), the federal government is still waiting for the offer value of the water concessionaire by the Selangor state government, said Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water, Datuk Seri Maximus Johnity Ongkili. 

“The Selangor government will name the price to Splash shareholders, and then we will discuss with them on how much we (federal government) will give [to fund the acquisition],” Ongkili said. “But it [the scale of the fund] will be reasonable,” he added.

Ongkili was speaking to the press after his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the International Water Association (IWA) — Asia Pacific Region (Aspire) Conference 2017 here today.

When asked if the deadline will be further extended if the Selangor state government does not come up with an offer price, Ongkili simply said: “We will have to discuss with them.”

According to earlier reports, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said the deadline for the federal and Selangor governments to finalise the takeover was moved — for the second time — from April 6, 2017 to Oct 5, 2017, “because the federal government is waiting for its own international independent valuer to finalise the valuation of SPLASH’s assets”.