Kedah may charge for raw water

10 March 2008
New Straits Times

New Menteri Besar Azizan Abu Razak receiving his letter of appointment from Kedah’s Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah during the swearing-in yesterday. — NST picture by Rizal Braim

ALOR STAR: The state government is seriously considering charging Penang and Perlis for the use of Kedah's raw water, said newly-appointed Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak.

He said this was imperative as the state needed funds to carry out more development projects for the people.

"Raw water, land and timber are some of the main sources of income for the state and we will find means to finance development projects for the people," he said after being sworn in as Kedah's ninth menteri besar at Wisma Darul Aman yesterday.

He was asked if the state government would pursue the former Barisan Nasional-led state government's plan to charge Penang and Perlis for raw water from Kedah.

Asked about some other major projects initiated by the former state and federal governments in Kedah, Azizan said he would review the RM50 billion Zipy petroleum pipeline project in Yan and the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER).
In the case of Zipy, he said the state would only benefit from it after 40 years. As for the NCER, Azizan said he needed more information on the economic programme.

Asked if he would introduce Islamic regulations and administrative systems modelled after the Pas-led Kelantan government, he said it depended on their suitability.

"Kedah is different from Kelantan in many ways, but we will find those suitable for us to follow."

Azizan declined to say if he would appoint the sole DAP assemblyman, Lee Guan Aik (Kota Darulaman), as an executive councillor.

Kedah Pas won 16 state seats, Parti Keadilan Rakyat won four, while one each went to the DAP and an Independent. Kedah BN won 14 state seats.

Earlier, Azizan received his letter of appointment from the Sultan of Kedah Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah.

The 68-year-old Kedah Pas commissioner also led all assemblymen, including the 14 from BN, at a swearing-in ceremony before the sultan. Leading the BN assemblymen was former menteri besar Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.