ALOR STAR – Environment and Water Resources Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has apparently sided with the Kedah government over its demand for payment from neighbour Penang over water extracted from the Sg Muda.
At a press conference during the party’s assembly, the PAS deputy president opined that Penang is obligated to pay compensation to Kedah for taking water from the river.
This is despite Penang collecting the water from its own side of the border, along the section of the river that runs between the two states.
Kedah menteri besar and Tuan Ibrahim’s party colleague Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has made clear demands against Penang to pay up for the water.
Penang, however, has rejected the notion based on the globally recognised principle of riparian rights, which provides the right to access water resources from one’s own territory, notwithstanding that the water body’s starting point is elsewhere.
Tuan Ibrahim said that while he agreed that Penang has the right to draw water from Sg Muda, which flows along the state’s boundary, the river’s origin is at the upstream Ulu Muda forest in Kedah.
“As Penang wants Ulu Muda preserved, seeing that it’s a major water catchment area, it is only fair that the state pays compensation to Kedah, as the latter is unable to conduct logging activities. It is a loss of revenue to Kedah,” said Tuan Ibrahim.
He was speaking to reporters at the sidelines of the gathering of PAS’ Youth, Muslimat and Ulama wings at the party’s headquarters at Kota Sarang Semut near here.
Tuan Ibrahim added that he has informed Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow about his stand on the matter.
Penang essentially draws the water at Kepala Batas before channelling it to its treatment plant in Sg Dua, Butterworth.
It is then distributed to its residents on the mainland, and also the island through an undersea pipeline.
Meanwhile, PAS’ women’s wing chief Nuridah Mohd Salleh called on the Islamist party to field at least 30% of its candidates for the next general election from the wing.
Nuridah, a senator, said PAS fielded 39 women in the last general election, but now the wing wants at least 30% of the party’s candidates to be women.
The Dewan Ulama wing, meanwhile, called for the party’ leaders to ensure straight fights with other parties in the polls.
This means working out a deal with Umno under the Muafakat Nasional pact, and consolidating its presence within the Perikatan Nasional coalition led by Bersatu. – The Vibes, September 2, 2022
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