Selangor Journal

Kedah water: Don’t give empty promises, MB fails to give alternative plan

BY: DATO’ JOHARI ABDUL
The Kedah Government can be described to have failed in resolving the state’s water issue under the Menteri Besar Kedah, Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah’s administration due to prior report of thousands of complaints and phone calls received at one time.

  1. Although early last month, the Menteri Besar Kedah has announced that Syarikat Air Darul Aman (Sada) water treatment plant in Jabi is expected to be completed by November, but for me this is not sufficient as long as there is no written and verbal guarantee in the State Legislative Assembly, to convince the people.

The people of Kedah is fed up with the water shortage issue that has been burdening them and what we are worried is the treatment plant promised by the state government might become a ‘white elephant’ similar to the incinerator plant case in Langkawi causing almost RM70 million losses.
The people also wants to know the number of tube-wells built by State Government since July 2016.

  1. It is the state government’s responsibility to protect its citizens’ welfare. While waiting for the treatment plant to be completed, the government should provide a short-term alternative measure.
  2. For the long-term, the government together with Syarikat Air Darul Aman (SADA) and the Green Technology and Water Ministry (KETTHA) should have a project paper for water development in Kedah for the next 10 years. The document should be made public.

In fact, a special committee should be established to listen to the views from NGO, the public and other water issues experts from local universities to resolve this issue.

  1. Citizens are placing high hopes that their problems will be resolved and urging the Kedah government to allocate more budget for water development is they really care for the rakyat.

# Dato’ Johari Abdul is Sungai Petani Member of Parliament

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