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KUALA LUMPUR – Kedah’s demand for a RM100 million annual payment for “leasing” its neighbour has not gone down well with Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy.
Ramasamy slammed Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor for his “thinly veiled threat that without a bigger compensation, Kedah might neglect the production of padi”.
“His demand, direct or not, seems to resemble blackmail,” he said in a statement.
“It must be understood that the so-called lease of the island of Penang and the mainland was in response to the Siamese incursion into Kedah and other northern Malay states.
“Moreover, Kedah was not a sovereign state at the time of the British intervention – it was under the sovereignty of the Siamese state. Penang was ceded to the British in exchange for protection against Siam.”
Ramasamy also called for the federal government to embark on a study to clear up historical inaccuracies between Penang and Kedah.
“Sanusi is no expert to interpret history as he prefers.”
Yesterday, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow was adamant that the state would not pay a single sen to Kedah.
He said based on the previous understanding and agreement, there is no need to do such a thing, and that the federal government should ignore Kedah’s request.
Earlier, Sanusi said the amount sought is one of Kedah’s wish list for Budget 2022 – which includes royalty payments, infrastructure, compensation for padi land, and loan write-offs.
“So, in ringgit terms, our compensation should be around RM100 million, not RM10 million. We are fair here,” he said in a press conference after chairing the weekly state exco meeting in Alor Star.
Kedah is also seeking another RM100 million from the federal government as compensation for gazetting part of the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve water catchment as a protected area. – The Vibes, October 28, 2021
