PENANG will wait for Kedah to officially file its claim regarding the state's lease payments before providing any response, said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
He said Penang maintains the same position each time the issue arises and will only comment once details of the claim are officially presented.
"I think this is not the first time we have responded to this matter. Our answer remains the same — we are waiting. That is all," he told reporters at his office in Komtar today.
Asked whether pursuing the claim could affect relations between the two states, he said it was too early to comment as Penang had not received any official claim.
“For me, it is premature to comment. So we will wait and see what they intend to claim, and we will respond after it is submitted to the court or to the Penang state government,” he added.
Sanusi earlier said that the Kedah government had completed all historical documents, research and legal preparations regarding the proposed review of Penang's lease payments.
He said the results of the study had been presented to the State Executive Council and received approval to be used as the basis for the claim, with the state government now just waiting for the right time to proceed to the next phase.
Earlier this month, Chow said Penang had never been consulted regarding the Sultan of Kedah's call for the Federal government to review the state's lease payments.
According to him, the matter was under the jurisdiction of the Federal government because the payments were made by Putrajaya and did not involve the state government. – July 29, 2026
