GEORGE TOWN – Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s warning to Penang that the state will pump “sludge water'” out of Sg Muda one day if it refuses to pay water charges to the state is not in line with Islamic teachings, said Senator Yusmadi Yusoff.
Yusmadi said that Kedah, under PAS administration, should set a good moral example for its neighbours, especially when it involves water, a symbol of purification.
“The statement issued by Sanusi is like a heretical teaching. It is un-Islamic and contrary to the nature of PAS, which always upholds the teachings of Islam in all matters.
“Islam itself teaches us to always be kind to our neighbours but Kedah seems to want to bully Penang,” he told The Vibes here today.
Last Wednesday, Sanusi hinted at the possibility of Penang having to use “sludge water” if the state government insisted on refusing to pay raw water charges to Kedah.
He said this was because the Kedah government is planning several projects expected to have an impact on the water flow of Sg Muda, which is currently the source of raw water in Penang.
Yusmadi, also a former MP for Balik Pulau, said that according to Islamic teachings, water resources are a human right and should be shared, especially since Kedah and Penang are under the same country.
“Don't be arrogant with Kedah’s water resources advantage. I believe this matter can be resolved well without making any statements that hurt the people of Penang,” he said.
The issue of raw water resources ownership claims began when Penang, through the Penang Water Supply Corporation, reprimanded the Kedah government for approving a permit to explore rare-earth minerals in Ulu Muda.
The Kedah government then demanded that Penang settle a payment for raw water resources of RM50 million a year from 2010 onwards.
However, the Penang government adamantly rejected the claim, instead opting to defend the state's riparian rights in court. – The Vibes, March 20, 2021
