KUALA LUMPUR – In the interest of the people Kedah and Penang, both state governments should immediately come to an agreement on the issue of raw water charges that has been going on since 2010, said Kedah Consumers’ Association (PPK) secretary Mohd Yusrizal Yusoff.
He said although the issue is complex, as both parties have their own stand and views, a win-win situation between the two states can be achieved if the welfare of the people is given priority.
Yusrizal also hoped that the federal government would intervene to find a mutually beneficial solution.
“As a representative of consumers of this state (Kedah), we hope that the two state governments can come to an agreement on the issue soon,” he told Bernama.
The Kedah state government has repeatedly demanded the Penang government pay RM50 million a year for extracting raw water from Sungai Ulu Muda, but this has been ignored by the latter.
Yusrizal said there was a justifiable reason for Kedah to make the demand because the Ulu Muda water catchment area in the state has been well maintained, enabling Penang to enjoy raw water supply from Sungai Muda.
However, he said there were some areas in Kedah where residents still do not have access to good water supply, possibly due to unsatisfactory infrastructure.
“If the Kedah state government gets the raw water payments from Penang, it may be used to repair the water supply infrastructure for the benefit of the people in this state (Kedah),” he said.
Echoing a similar sentiment, Water Watch Penang president Prof Chan Ngai Weng opined that the water issue should also be discussed by the Environment and Water Ministry or the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) level.
“Another solution is through the formation of the Sungai Muda Basin Council...Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor and Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow must sit together to discuss the issue instead of issuing statements through the media. There is no problem that cannot be solved,” he said.
Sanusi, when contacted by Bernama, did not deny Penang’s right to water supply from Sungai Muda, but said that the Penang government is required to pay Kedah for the continuous preservation of Sungai Muda.
“That is why it is important for them to pay for the price of raw water to Kedah, to enable us to safeguard the interests of those who also pay for the flow of water from Ulu Muda to Sungai Muda,” he said.
He said the Kedah state government would not stop voicing their demand for payment from Penang which according to him had been extracting most of the water from Sungai Muda even though Kedah had been conserving the catchment areas.
Sanusi said Kedah should be enjoying more of the water supply from Sungai Muda, not only for domestic use, but for agriculture and paddy cultivation particularly as Kedah produces 43% of the country’s rice supply. – Bernama, March 29, 2021
