CM decries being defamed over water issue with Kedah

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is upset that he has been defamed for allegedly not wanting to meet with the Kedah government on the issue of the state imposing raw water charges on Penang.

"I feel I have been slandered and defamed, and I feel slightly disappointed with the baseless claims," lamented Lim, at a press conference today.

"I have never said that I would not meet Mukhriz (Mahathir). Although I do not agree to what he is doing, I consider him a new menteri besar; perhaps he lacks experience.

"However, he is the son of former Prime Minister (Dr Mahathir Mohamad) and he is the Kedah MB - on those two accounts, I will meet him," Lim (left) added.

"I would even treat him to the best nasi kandar in town," he jested.

Lim was responding to a question over a report in Utusan Malaysia which on Jun 19, which quoted Mukriz as saying that the Penang chief minister should act "gentlemanly" and start discussions with Kedah instead of politicising the water issue.

In the article, Mukriz had reportedly said Lim should not reject the proposal to charge Penang for water from Sungai Muda as the Kedah government had strong grounds to do so.

Lim said Penang had never paid for water from Kedah, and that the state had not been requested to do so even before 2008, when BN led the administration.

He added that the Penang Water Supply Authority draws raw water from the state side of Sungai Muda at no cost to Kedah.

'Asking for money for nothing'

As such, Kedah's proposal to charge Penang for water was "unreasonable, akin to asking for money for nothing". 

In 2008, PAS took over Kedah, but BN then recaptured it in the 13th general election, where Mukriz was appointed as the state menteri besar.

Meanwhile, Lim asked Mukriz to show proof that he does not wish to meet the Kedah administrator.

He added that Mukriz (right) has yet to write officially to him on the matter, and has instead used the media to express his views.

Lim said the source of the raw water from Kedah is not an excuse to charge Penang over it.

He cited the example of the River Nile - dubbed the longest river in the world - which runs through 11 countries in Africa as well.

"The source of the water does not come from Egypt, does this mean they have to pay for it too?" queried Lim, who is also the DAP secretary-general.

"If this is the logic used, when flooding happens and reaches our state, can we ask Kedah for compensation?" he asked.

"There are international laws on this matter - that the source of the water is not a reason to charge money for it - and we will abide by that law, we hope the Kedah MB does too," he added.

When told that perhaps there should be a broker to negotiate the meeting, Lim responded that "they started the issue, and they should tell us when they want to meet".