The allowance of Kedah state assemblypersons will be increased by RM1,300 starting December, making it RM6,961 per month.

Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir said the decision to increase  the allowance was made after studying suggestions made by state assemblypersons.

Speaking when tabling the Kedah budget in the state assembly in Alor Setar today, he hopes that the allowance increase would enable state assemblypersons to carry out their responsibilities better.

Mukhriz said to make the budget realistic, the Kedah government decided not to include the water charges to Penang and Perlis without the consent of the two state governments, unlike the former Kedah government.

About the migration of Syarikat Air Darul Aman (SADA) to Pengurusan Aset Air Berhad (PAAB), he said it would only be made after the federal government agrees to turn loans for rural water supply projects into grants.

“We also have to look at this from a broader scope in which Kedah is the the watershed for the supply of raw water to neighbouring states Penang and Perlis.

“As a major supplier to the nation's food resources, Kedah should receive compensation for sacrificing vast forests as catchment areas for irrigation and  drinking water.”

Mukhriz also wanted a review of the RM10,000 per year lease of Penang as the original 10,000 Spanish Crowns is worth much higher than that.

He believed that this matter would be resolved soon with help from the federal government.

“Although the New Economic Policy (NEP) had reduced the nation’s poverty rate from 70 percent in 1971 to below 3 percent, there are still people without proper homes and sustainable income.

“There are 23,000 poor households in Kedah. Although the federal and state governments have many projects to help the poor, many are left out of mainstream development.”

The state assembly sitting continues tomorrow.

- Bernama