The Gerakan has strongly opposed the Kedah state government’s plan to open up the Hulu Muda Forest Reserve for logging.

Party acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, in a statement today, said such activities would affect water supply for Kedah, Penang and Perlis.

“Lim Guan Eng, as the present Chief Minister, should use all means to convince his PAS colleague and counterpart in Kedah. Perhaps he should seek help from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,” said the former Penang Chief Minister.

Currently, 80 per cent of Penang water supply was obtained from the Muda Dam (in Kedah), one of the three dams expected to be affected if the forest reserve were to be logged. The other dams are Pedu Dam and Anhing Dam which supply water to Perlis.

On Wednesday, Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak announced that Kedah would open up the Hulu Muda Forest Reserve to logging activities to increase its revenue unless the federal government paid the RM100 million compensation yearly for banning logging in the area five years ago.