ALOR STAR – A Kedah government backbencher labelled Penang as ungrateful over the ongoing water dispute, whilst supporting a proposal for Penang to pay RM50 million yearly for water drawn from Sg Muda and RM100 million for the lease of Penang from Kedah.
Hanif Ghazali (Tanjung Dawai-PN) said Penang had neither expressed its appreciation nor valued Kedah’s effort to maintain water resources at the Ulu Muda basin.
Penang, he said, remains reluctant to aid Kedah with its water shortfall despite getting its supply from Sg Muda, a river that flows from the said basin in Kedah into Seberang Prai across the state borders.
“If Penang is willing to buy water from Perak, it should value the current water resources from Kedah.
“Penang has the highest water reserves in the country at 30% compared with Kedah’s 2.3%.
“Penang had never valued and appreciated the efforts of Kedah to maintain the water resources that enabled Penang to obtain water,” he said, while debating the royal address at the state assembly sitting here today.
At this juncture Mohd Azam Abdul Samat (Sg Limau-PN) stood up to ask Hanif whether he will support a proposal for Penang to pay RM50 million annually for the water drawn from Sg Muda along with an additional RM100 million annually as lease payment.
Saying it was only fitting for Penang to make these payments and that all Kedahans will support such decisions, Hanif claimed that the sultan of Kedah had presented proof to the Conference of Rulers that Penang was leased from Kedah.
“As such, Penang should pay what is due,” he said, without substantiating his claims.
The ongoing Sg Muda controversy between the neighbouring states has long been dismissed by Penang as it claims that water from Sg Muda is being drawn from its part of the river. – The Vibes, March 22, 2022
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