Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali has refuted the allegation of a possible water tariff hike in the state, saying that the negotiation on the taking over of the Syarikat Pengeluar Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Splash) has yet to be finalised.

He said any decisions made after the negotiation would be scrutinised first by the federal government as the cost for the taking over of the Splash would be borne by Pengurusan Aset Air Berhad (PAAB), a corporatised agency under the Finance Ministry.

"How this (water tariff hike) issue came about? The federal government has even asked for a six-month extension period to enable international independent evaluator to ascertain the offer value.

"The negotiation has yet to be finalised... I guarantee that whatever discussion done with Splash, public interest will come first and I give assurance that the rights of domestic users in Selangor will be protected," he told reporters here Friday. -- Bernama