Penang will not pay RM50m charged by Kedah for raw water - Chow

 

The Penang state government will not pay RM50 million for raw water as demanded by the Kedah state government, says Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

He said Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang Sdn Bhd (PBAPP) had received a letter from the neighbouring state’s water supply operator recently regarding the claims, but that PBAPP had already replied that it would not be paying the tariff.

"We have given the answer that we will not pay the tariff as Penang uses international rights, namely using water from rivers, especially those that are within the boundaries of Penang, in line with international law,” Chow said in a press conference in George Town today.

Chow was asked to comment on Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor's statement that its claims on the raw water had never been paid nor responded to.

However, Chow said the Penang government supported the Kedah government's efforts to claim compensation from the federal government for not allowing logging activities at water catchment areas in Kedah.

"We support the state of Kedah to demand this compensation from the federal government if Kedah takes action to gazette a permanent forest reserve in Ulu Muda as a water catchment area to ensure Ulu Muda will be able to supply water to the three states in the north, namely Perlis, Kedah and Penang," he said, adding that such issues should be addressed at the federal level.

- Bernama