PENANG and Kedah should be working together to solve the challenges they face over the water issue rather than escalating the problem by resorting to legal measures, which is “un-Malaysian”, a senior lawyer said.

Lawyer S. Raveentharan criticised Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammed Sanusi Md Nor for his decision to sue Penang over the long-standing dispute concerning the Sungai Muda water boundary and supply.

Considering both states are facing water challenges due to the clear and present threat of climate change and prolonged drought, Raveentharan said Sanusi should be collaborating with Penang to address the issue of global warming, not making it worse.

Besides the water rights which Penang has laid claim to, based on the understanding with Kedah about sharing the resources of Sungai Muda, he said that both Kedah and Penang are part of the same country.

“Should we also differentiate Kedahans coming to work in Penang? Should we ask them to head back and work in Kedah instead?” he asked.

He remarked that Sanusi is a “PAS political animal” who does not understand the limits of politicking.

“Water should not be politicised. Rain is a natural phenomenon and it sustains life.

“Furthermore, this is a dispute between two neighbours from the same nation. Are we trying to make statehood more important than nationhood when we just collectively celebrated Merdeka last Saturday?” Raveentharan asked.

He said that since natural resources are now under threat from climate change, the focus should be on conservation and finding new alternatives, not taking the matter to court.

“It will cost the taxpayers more money when such funds could be better utilised in finding new water resources for both states. This is unless Sanusi is using his own money to fund the legal exercise to challenge the matter in court.”

Raveentharan urged Sanusi to discuss the matter with Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and seek federal assistance, such as from the National Water Resources Commission, to find a win-win solution for both states.

He encouraged Chow to agree to mediation to resolve the dispute.

“Penang in the past had also sought more compensation from the federal government to aid Kedah, as it was clamouring for funds to develop its hinterland,” said Raveentharan, a former board member of the Penang Water Supply Corporation.

“Shouldn’t Sanusi set aside politics and work with his neighbour to end the dispute instead of prolonging it?”

“That would be a mature and cost-saving approach, especially when the country is struggling economically due to inflation and stagnant wages,” the former PKR deputy secretary-general said.

Chow said he was ready to face his Kedah counterpart in court over the ongoing raw water supply compensation dispute.

Responding to Sanusi’s intention to initiate legal action, Chow said, “Let him go ahead. I will see him in court.”

Sanusi reportedly stated that Penang’s insistence on legal action left him with no choice but to take the matter to court.

The issue first arose in 2010, with Kedah insisting that Sungai Muda belongs to the state because the origin of the great northern river is from Ulu Muda in Baling before it flows to the bordering Kuala Muda district and the Kepala Batas district in Penang.

Due to the dispute, Penang has turned to its southern neighbour, Perak, to provide treated water to its districts on the mainland, namely in Nibong Tebal and Bukit Mertajam, the hometown of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

About 80% of Penang’s treated water comes from Sungai Muda. – September 4, 2024.