GEORGE TOWN: Penang is prepared to face Kedah in court over the raw water usage issue, says Chow Kon Yeow (pic).
The Chief Minister said the state government would respond appropriately to any action taken by the Kedah government regarding the raw water usage row.
"If Kedah decides to pursue legal action against Penang, the state will be prepared to face them in court.
“If all they do is talk about it, then we will respond in the same manner accordingly,” he said at a press conference at a memorandum of understanding signing event held at Penang Development Corporation (PDC) here on Tuesday (Sept 3).
Chow was responding to Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s comments on Monday (Sept 2) that the state was preparing to take legal action against Penang to seek compensation for raw water usage.
Chow said if the matter was to go to court, there would be laws and international conventions regarding Riparian water rights (an internationally recognised system for allocating water among states or countries who possess land along the river’s path).
“The court has to decide on this but there are other international conventions on water sources involving more than one country or state,” he said.
On Monday, Sanusi said the Kedah government would seek compensation from Penang for raw water usage from its Sungai Muda through legal action.
Sanusi added that as the Penang government had insisted on bringing the matter to court, he had no choice but to do so.
On Aug 26, the Penang government told the Kedah administration to seek payment for raw water charges from Sungai Muda, through the courts rather than in the media or publicly.
Chow made this call while commenting on a news report that the Kedah government would continue to demand payment for raw water usage from Penang, which currently sources 84% of its water from Sungai Muda.
Kedah's public works, natural resources, water supply, water resources and environment executive council member Mohamad Yusoff @ Munir Zakaria was reported as saying that Penang had yet to pay Kedah despite demands made since 2010.
Kedah previously submitted a written demand to Penang to charge RM50mil per year for raw water usage since the Penang Water Supply Corporation gets its water supply from Sungai Ulu Muda, which originates in Kedah.
