Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the water issues in Kedah should be the primary concern of the state government.

“To the Kedah menteri besar … he should leave the water supply issue in Sungai Bakap to Penang for the chief minister, Chow Kon Yeow, to handle.

“Instead, he (Sanusi) should focus on the water problems in Kedah first.

“I will work with him and he should assist us,” Saifuddin told a press conference after launching the Jiwa Komuniti Madani programme in Kulim-Bandar Baharu today.

Sanusi, in a speech during the launch of the Perikatan Nasional Sungai Bakap by-election machinery, was reported to have told Penang to purchase water from Kedah upon completion of the Lubuk Buntar water treatment plant.

Saifuddin, who is also the Kedah Development Action Council chairman, said several areas in Kedah, including Merbok, Sungai Petani and Bandar Baharu, were facing water issues due to low pressure and frequent supply disruptions.

He said five projects involving the building and upgrading of water treatment plants were being carried out in Kedah to address the water supply issues in the state.

The projects included the Lubuk Buntar plant, which involves an allocation of RM60 million.

“When completed, the Lubuk Buntar plant can supply 32 million litres of water daily to Kedah,” he said.