Rakyat kedah are beginning to ask what happened to the estimated RM20 million profit which was gained from selling their water supply to Penang which was announced by its Chief Minister as a smart measure to reduce the state’s budget deficit. would it stay as a fairytale for rakyat?
Kedah Chief Minister, Dato’ Seri Azizan Razak may have forgotten the jurisdictions of a Chief Minister. Perhaps he though that announcing the matter during budget presentation, it could be implemented there and then.
Or perhaps he thought that the only thing they need to do is send invoice to Penang government each month like any other regular business transactions, and Penang government would pay just like that.
That is why, Penang Chief Minister chooses to ignore Azizan’s fairytale.
When the fairytale began to spread, one of PAS Kedah exco members, Phahrolrazi, had to pretend to show that he is serious by making the statement saying that Kedah would put a price on the water supply which is channeled to Penang. Sadly, both Phahrolrazi and Azizan refuse to head to Penang to make any discussion. From what we know, Kedah government have only sent a single letter to Penang to mention their intention in putting a price for the water supply to the state.
Thus, it is not wrong when Penang only sent Penang Water Supply Department General Manager, Jaseni Maidinsa to provide response towards a statement coming from an exco. And it is not wrong for Jaseni to give a light response where Penang only uses water supply from Sungai Muda beginning at the river border which flows towards the state only, and that is why Kedah cannot impose any price because it is not part of Kedah. With that response, Kedah was stunned.
That is the problem when one only knows how to talk instead of work. Looking at the status quo where Azizan has never and never will talk to Guan Eng, Kedah would definitely get nothing out of this.
Not just that they are not getting anything from giving their water supply, the only thing which could benefit Kedah, logging, seems to have caused water supply issue to rakyat Kedah.
The uncontrolled logging had caused geological impact which leads to the risk of landslide or mud flood, which could also contaminate the state’s water supply.
Few of the chronic cases include logging activities which occurs only 100 meters away from Tasik Pedu. Before that, it was an area of 5,000 hectare at Gunung Inas, Sik while another 350 hectare at Tasik Pedu’s water catchment area.
The issue on contaminated water due to uncontrolled logging is not a fairy tale.
On October 2011, people from Pendang and Padang Terap district organized a demonstration to oppose the state government’s decision in approving a logging license to a company called Ng N Beh Trading, license number KT 01-(P)-52-2011 at Bukit Perak Permanent Forest Reserve. From there, water supply which flows to seven villages, Kg Sg Mas, Kg Sg Pisang, Kg Sungai Siput, Kg Mahawangsa, Kg Lasau, Kg Titi Akar and Kg Padang Durian became turbid thanks to their logging activities.
Despite that, Kedah State Government still refuse to take any actions. Their excuse, it is just UMNO’s political game.
It is clear tha Azizan is running out of ideas on how to generate the state income, that is why he decided to clear all forests.
Azizan does not succeed in asking Penang to pay for their water supply and they cannot do anything to stop it, and rakyat Kedah are suffering from water issues until all forests are cleared. And once the logging is done, Kedah might face mud flood issues, but people of Penang would still be able to enjoy free water supply from Kedah.
