The Selangor Pakatan Rakyat government risks losing the support of the people if water rationing in the state continues indefinitely, say political analysts and its assemblymen.
An assemblyman had admitted that rationing, which has gone on for nearly a month in the country's most industrialised and richest state, had affected support for the coalition.
"We have received many complaints from residents who are unhappy with the rationing. As a result, support for Pakatan has dropped a bit and if no action is taken, it will cost us votes," said Damansara Utama assemblyman Yeo Bee Yin.
Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim had insisted on continuing with the exercise as he claimed water levels at dams were still at critical levels, something that residents and critics found hard to stomach given that it had been raining almost daily.
"This situation gives an impression that the state government had failed to tackle the water issue properly.
"The state government failed to explain to the people the rationale for the rationing. This has gone on for too long and the people will have a negative image of it. Water is a basic necessity," said Illham Center executive director Mohamad Hisomuddin Bakar.
He warned that Pakatan Rakyat could expect a drop in support if no proactive measures were taken to resolve the problem.
"The rakyat are the stakeholders in the parties they voted for," he added.
In taking the state government to task, Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani said Khalid's administration had failed to explain to residents the real situation, such as the rationale for the rationing and its recently inked water agreement with Putrajaya, which had been criticised by other Pakatan members.
"The state government should be more proactive, briefings should be given from time to time or the public will have the perception that there are internal problems related to water management and will see it as a weakness on the part of the state," said the political analyst from Universiti Utara Malaysia.
Unhappy residents have been complaining that the rationing had affected their lives, an informal survey by The Malaysian Insider in Taman Permata, Gombak, found.
"My house has turned into a water storage area. Not only do I find it hard to go about my daily work, now I have to shower at my relatives' homes far from here," said retiree Mokhtar, who had lived in the housing area for nearly 30 years.
Businesses such as restaurants around the Hulu Kelang area have been forced to use alternatives, such as disposable cups and paper plates to serve customers.
"This adds to my current operating cost," said Din, who runs two restaurants in Taman Melawati.
Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lau Weng San said the state was working to resolve the matter quickly.
"The state government is doing its best," he told The Malaysian Insider.
The rationing, which started on March 10 involved six districts – Gombak, Kuala Lumpur, Petaling, Klang/Shah Alam, Kuala Selangor dan Hulu Selangor.
This is the worst crisis in the state since Pakatan took over the administration in 2008. – April 27, 2014.
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