PENANG deputy chief minister Dr P. Ramasamy has slammed Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor for casting blame on others when it comes to water woes in the state.
Pointing to the existing water woes in Kedah where people in various parts of the state had been facing water shortage for years, Ramasamy said that rather than taking an objective look at the reasons for the water shortage Sanusi had preferred to delve into cheap politics by blaming the previous Kedah government.
It was reported earlier that Sanusi had blamed the previous Kedah government’s change in policy for the delay in plans to upgrade five water treatment plants (LRA) in the state.
He claimed that had the policy not been changed, the efforts to overcome water supply problems in the state could have been implemented earlier and, probably, would not have lasted until now.
“For some time, his (Sanusi’s) favourite topic was the Sungai Muda water supply from Kedah to Penang where he had spent a considerable time scolding Penang for not compensating for the water drawn from Sungai Muda,” Ramasamy commented.
“He conveniently forgot that Penang draws water from its side of the border with Kedah. This is what is termed ‘Riparian Rights’ which is the right to withdraw water from within the boundaries of states or countries.”
According to Ramasamy, Sanusi had lain low for a while after his war of words with Penang but had recently reignited the “blame game”, this time targeting the former Pakatan Harapan state government under Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir.
“Rather than taking an objective look at the reasons why some areas in Kedah are experiencing water woes Sanusi prefers to delve into cheap politics by blaming the former Kedah government, saying that the former government had failed to establish water treatment plants in critical areas,” Ramasamy noted.
Earlier Sanusi had claimed that it was only after a change in the leadership of the state government in May 2020 that efforts to overcome the problem was reactivated.
He had elaborated that his government has taken the responsibility of installing five LRAs in the state, namely the Pelubang LRA in the Kubang Pasu district, Lubuk Buntar Lama LRA (Bandar Baharu), Sungai Limau LRA (Baling), Jenun Baru LRA (Pendang) and Bukit Selambau LRA (Kuala Muda).
All five projects, costing a total of RM931 mil, are expected to be completed in the next three years.
“Sanusi claimed that once the projects are completed Kedahans might no longer experience water shortage problem but the problem with the PAS Kedah government, they don’t practice what they preach,” Ramasamy remarked.
“It is always others who are the actual source of the problem – either it is Penang for not compensating Kedah or the former Pakatan state government for not doing enough to address the water woes.” – May 10, 2022
