PENANG Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has demanded an apology from Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor for allegedly making a misinformed remark over a faulty barrage gate in Sungai Muda, which had triggered a full-day water cut in Penang and Kedah.
Chow chastised the Kedah Menteri Besar for failing to validate his facts before speaking out after Sanusi reportedly said that Penang should fix the damaged Sungai Muda barrage gate, indirectly blaming the state for the recent water cut which had affected up to 600,000 individuals in southern Kedah and several areas in Penang.
“If the Kedah menteri besar had made such a remark, he should have checked his facts first. He should apologise to the people because he made a nasty and uncalled (for) remark.
“If Sanusi did not make such a remark, he needs to contact the media organisation who reported on it to make the necessary clarification,” said Chow after attending a Penang Development Corp Aidilfitri open house.
Penang Water Authority Holdings, the holding entity for the state’s water supplier Penang Water Supply Corp (PBAPP), stated the barrage that controls the floodgate was located in Kedah’s Sungai Muda.
The Sungai Muda water basin division of the Drainage and Irrigation Department had sent a letter to the Kedah Water Resources Board informing them that the abrupt depletion of Sungai Muda was caused by an unforeseen technical issue.
Chow further informed Sanusi that no such letter was sent to any authority in Penang, and that the automatic operation of the Sungai Muda barrage doorways was managed by the Kedah authorities, not PBAPP.
On Sunday (May 14), a sensor failure at one of the Sungai Muda barrages had unlocked a floodgate, allowing river water to flow out into Straits of Malacca, thus creating water supply interruptions in Kedah and Penang affecting more than 600,000 individuals in both states. – May 17, 2023
