Responding to the Perikatan Nasional election director’s claims that Sungai Bakap’s water woes were linked to alleged racial discrimination by the Penang government, Akmal sarcastically asked if the same applied to other areas in Kedah with bigger Malay populations, such as Merbok and Langkawi.
He added that Sanusi’s claim, that Sungai Bakap faced water issues because it was a Malay-majority area, was a “shallow argument”.
“It is not an argument about competency (of the state water company) or the mitigating steps being taken, but one of race. That makes no sense at all.
“So let’s trash this argument and view this from a more rational perspective,” he said in a Facebook post today.
Akmal said Sungai Bakap, in Seberang Perai Selatan, was at the edge of the water supply system, 53km from the Sungai Dua water treatment plant, which also supplies water to the north and central Seberang Perai districts.
“Seven steps have been taken – including upgrading pump houses and setting up compact treatment plants – to alleviate the situation. The real game-changer would be if the transfer of water between Kerian and Seberang Perai materialises.
“This was one of the things I discussed with the Penang chief minister when I moved to the energy transition and water transformation ministry in January,” he said.
It was reported last week that the Perak government had agreed to supply water to Penang through the yet-to-be-built Kerian Integrated Green Industrial Park.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said this was agreed upon by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, and menteri besar Saarani Mohamad.
In a speech launching PN’s Sungai Bakap by-election machinery on Saturday, Sanusi questioned why there was not enough water in Sungai Bakap compared with George Town.
“This is a ‘Tok Lebai’ area,” Sanusi had said, using a label given to PAS supporters.
“The people here have the same skin colour as I do. Do you think they care about you? Only these areas have (water) issues. About 60% of residents here are like me, that is why there are issues.”