Kedah has rights, too, Najib tells Ramasamy

 

Former prime minister Najib Razak says money paid by Penang can be used by Kedah to preserve the raw water sources which benefit both states.

PETALING JAYA: Former prime minister Najib Razak has hit back at P Ramasamy over the Penang-Kedah water spat after the Penang deputy chief minister II had lectured him about the state’s “riparian” rights.

In a Facebook post, Najib also said he never claimed Penang had no right to draw water from Sungai Muda without paying Kedah, but pointed out that Kedah had rights too.

“Does the Penang government have the right to constantly tell or stop the Kedah government from logging in Ulu Muda?,” he asked Ramasamy, adding this was also applicable to Kedah’s plans to mine rare earth.

“Which law states that Penang can demand that the Kedah government carry out cloud seeding every time there is a drought? There are none, right?

Najib asked why Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow had previously said he was open to negotiations with Kedah on the water issue if there was no need for Penang to pay their neighbour.

This, Najib said, was why he felt it was reasonable for Penang to pay Kedah if it wants to tell Kedah what it can do with its resources.

“It is reasonable because the money paid by Penang can be used by Kedah to preserve the raw water sources which benefit both states.”

Earlier, Ramasamy slammed Najib for saying it was reasonable for Penang to pay Kedah just as how Melaka and Selangor were paying Pahang.

In Penang’s case, Ramasamy said it drew most of its water from Sungai Muda on its side of the border and it, therefore, had riparian rights. Melaka and Selangor, however, needed to have water transported from Pahang.

The Penang and Kedah governments have been engaged in a war of words over Kedah’s mining plans in Ulu Muda, which serves as a water catchment for the state, Penang and Perlis.

Water supply from this area is said to serve some 4.2 million consumers across the three states. - FMT