Kedah seeks RM100m compensation for Ulu Muda water catchment

The Kedah government is seeking RM100 million in compensation from the federal government for using the Ulu Muda forest reserve in Sik as a water catchment area for domestic and agricultural needs.

Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor (above) said the state government had negotiated with the natural resources ministry to seek compensation to maintain the catchment areas.

“We are asking for RM100 million as compensation for the retention of water catchment areas in Ulu Muda (forest reserve),” said Sanusi.

He was replying to a supplementary question from Mohd Asmirul Maher Aris (Harapan-Kubang Rotan) during a question and answer session at the Kedah state assembly in Alor Setar today.

Earlier, Asmirul enquired of the state government's commitment to ensure consistent water supply to 96,558 hectares of paddy fields in the Muda Agricultural Development Authority area, which gets its water from the forest reserve.

Sanusi said that the state government will continue to prevent logging activities in the Ulu Muda forest reserve area to ensure that the water catchment area is preserved.

He added that the state government is committed to taking care of the water catchment area, which could benefit 4.2 million people in Kedah, Perlis, and Penang for domestic, agricultural, and industrial use.

“The state government is continuing its policy of preserving the environment and needs to consider alternate areas elsewhere allowed by the forestry department to meet the demands submitted by logging companies,” Sanusi said in response to Asmirul's original question.

Meanwhile, replying to a question from Mukhriz Mahathir (IND-Jitra) who wanted to know the amount claimed by the Logging Companies Association, whose concessions in Ulu Muda were cancelled, Sanusi said RM40,000 per hectare was claimed involving a total area of 25,553 hectares, for a total of RM1.02 billion.

Logging concessionaires demanded compensation from the state government after their concessions in the forest reserve after the area was gazetted as a water catchment area in March laster year by the previous state government under Harapan.

Sanusi also said that the previous state government, when Mukhriz was menteri besar, had removed all logging restrictions in the forest reserve at a Land Revenue Committee meeting on May 5, 2020.

- Bernama