GEORGE TOWN: Kedah Mentri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor should study the legal background of the Sungai Muda issue before making threats, says MCA vice president Datuk Tan Teik Cheng.
He said based on international and Malaysian laws, Penang does not have to pay Kedah to use water from Sungai Muda.
“Sanusi’s threat to dam Sungai Muda lacks tact. It is beyond question that Penang holds the authority and rights to use the water within the borders for its own consumption; hence, it is contemptuous for Sanusi to lay threats of damming the river and redirecting the water elsewhere.
“I urge Sanusi to first revisit the legal background of the issue and understand that Penang does not have to pay Kedah to use the water from Sungai Muda.
“This is based on both international and Malaysian laws, ” he said in a statement on Monday (Dec 14). - Star
Tan added that the Kedah state government should commit efforts to preserving the Ulu Muda water catchment area as it is the lifeblood for 4.2 million Malaysians living in northern Malaysia.
He also said that the Kedah state government should request federal assistance if the gazettement of the Ulu Muda water catchment area results in drastic loss of revenue due to logging being halted.
“I hope that the Federal Government will also lend its aid to Kedah so that the state will not undertake any activities which may cause harm to the water catchment area, and ensure water will continue to reach the people of Perlis, Kedah, and Penang, ” said Tan.
Kedah and Penang are now embroiled in an issue over raw water, with the Kedah government claiming that Penang had never responded to its demands for RM50mil annually for raw water drawn from its (Penang) side of Sungai Muda, which flows from the Ulu Muda catchment area in Kedah.
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