KUALA LUMPUR – The Environment and Water Ministry is ready to hold talks with Kedah and Penang to resolve the Sg Muda issue, said Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man today.
Tuan Ibrahim (PAS-Kubang Kerian) told the Dewan Rakyat that the Penang government can consider contributing to Kedah, to reward the latter’s efforts to protect its water catchment areas.
“It would be nice if Penang could hold discussions to contribute financially to Kedah.”
He said the 4,151 sq km river basin is shared between Kedah (98.68%) and Penang (1.32%).
Previously, Kedah demanded that the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) pay RM50 million annually for raw water resources.
This came after PBAPP chief executive Datuk Jaseni Maidinsa urged Kedah to scrap its plan to mine rare-earth minerals in Sik and Ulu Muda.
Tuan Ibrahim said Penang is the only state in the peninsula that has not gazetted its forests as water catchment areas.
According to data from forest management sources, he said, the state has 3,398.94ha of forest areas proposed as water catchment areas.
“But Penang has yet to gazette them. Zero,” he said in response to a supplementary question from Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow (PH-Tanjong).
Tuan Ibrahim said seven states have gazetted 100% of their forests as water catchment areas, namely Kedah, Melaka, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Perlis, Selangor and Terengganu.
Meanwhile, the figure for Kelantan is 99.2%, Perak (54.12%) and Johor (9.47%), he said.
“The ministry hopes Penang can gazette its water catchment areas as a guarantee of water resources in the future.” – The Vibes, December 15, 2020
