An Amanah leader has questioned the federal government's alleged double standards in addressing water woes faced by two PAS-held states, Kedah and Kelantan.
Amanah environmental bureau chief Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad noted that while swift action was announced to resolve water issues in Kedah, the same cannot be said for Kelantan.
"The people of Kelantan are still receiving... 'teh tarik'-coloured water through their pipes after decades of waiting for clean water supply," said the former Harapan deputy minister (above).
"My view is that the people of Kelantan are feeling they are being treated like the loyal but abandoned 'older wife' of PAS, while the 'younger wife' in Kedah is given extra special treatment," he said in a statement today.
Raja Kamarul Bahrin was taking a swipe at Environment and Water Minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.
Tuan Ibrahim said yesterday that the federal government in cooperation with the Kedah state government will upgrade existing water supply infrastructure in Langkawi. Residents there face water shortages due to a leaky pipe from the mainland to the island.
Tuan Ibrahim said a RM600 million allocation was set aside for the repair works, on top of expanding water reservoirs on the island.
Meanwhile, Raja Kamarul Bahrin further questioned the timing of Tuan Ibrahim's statement, several days after an outcry over the revival of logging concessions under the new PAS-led state government.
"Is it just by coincidence this (announcement) happened after the controversy over the Kedah Menteri Besar's proposal to pay over RM1 billion to logging tycoons and reconsidering approvals for controversial logging in Ulu Muda (forest reserve)?
Newly-minted Kedah menteri besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor previously claimed the Kedah government faced RM1 billion in compensation claims from 40 logging companies, involving 131 concessions spanning 22,098 hectares in the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve.
"Our proposal is to consider giving them a replacement area outside of the water reservoir," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
Given the latest announcement, Raja Kamarul Bahrin said the people in Kelantan continue to question how much longer they have to wait for a resolution.
"For decades the people of Kelantan loyally waited under a PAS state government, but water and environmental issues continue to be unresolved.
"Just after two weeks of PAS ruling Kedah, a RM600 million water project was announced for Langkawi, while Kelantan continues to wait," he added.
The former Kedah Harapan state government under Mukhriz Mahathir collapsed last month after defections from PKR and his own party Bersatu. - Mkini
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