theSun, Malaysia
September 23rd, 2010
We all love our food. Malaysians all over the world, have the foodie gene in them. It is just part of who we are. We had gone to a fancy restaurant for lunch in Bangsar. The décor was exquisite and the food came highly recommended. Naturally, it was going to be an expensive meal, but it was a treat, a special occasion that warranted this excursion.
As we perused the menu, I nearly gagged at the price of water that came in a little bottle. Maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me. See, on principle I disagree on being charged an exorbitant fee for drinking water. So I opted for a nice meal and tap water.
“We don’t serve tap water Ma’am”, replied the waiting staff …. “Only bottled water” with a smile.
For some reason, this restaurant only served water from the Swiss Alps or somewhere far far away that has better quality drinking water than we do in Malaysia. Therefore it was justified that I be charged its carbon footprint to fly all the way to this snazzy restaurant.
I was having none of that.
Drinking water cannot be free but it also cannot come with an inflated price tag. Admittedly we are not as privileged to having drinking water flow from our pipes and so, water filter companies profit by demonstrating how polluted our unfiltered water is.
Paying this much for water made no sense to me. It was daylight robbery, kind of like window tax in the 1600’s when William III who was short of money decided that he had the right to charge people for daylight by taxing a household based on the number of windows the house had. It sounds absurd, but so did the thought of bottled water thirty years ago.
There are some things in life that are a necessity. Access to safe drinking water is not a privilege, but a right. An expectation we should have like the right to life, the right to be treated equally and to be born free.
There is an immense need to protect our ground water and catchment areas. The cost of having to import water is unimaginable especially since we have high rainfall in most parts of the country.
So why do so many households have to invest in water filters and why are restaurants allowed to overcharge for this basic commodity?
With the lack of education coupled with greed, rivers are polluted while our tropical rainforests are being culled for their heritage.
Who suffers?
The people who do not have access to clean drinking water. One day that might be you and me.
What then when there is a disease outbreak? Wouldn’t that cost more to manage? Preventing and ensuring that water resources are managed well is vital.
There needs to better protection mechanisms in place, legislation that actually deals with the issues and an overarching agency that manages water concerns within the country.
Recently the Semenyih water treatment plant was contaminated by leachate used in a nearby landfill that polluted Sungai Kembong. Not only are the clean up costs high, there isn’t an institution or legislation that attempts to protect water resources from such errant and greedy behaviour. If allowed to continue without reprimand, only the people who cannot afford water filters and bottled water suffer and lets not forget how rapidly prices will increasing for such basic need.
Charging higher water rates can only be warranted if there is accountability something which we as a country greatly lack making it unjustifiable and really daylight robbery. Water treatment, catchment areas, education, privatization matters need to be addressed before we our demand overtakes the supply.
Parched from my meal, and still refusing to pay for water, I asked for a cup of hot water and some ice on the side.
Natalie doesn’t mind being labelled “penny-pinching” especially when having to pay for a basic human right.
Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
