GEORGE TOWN:The Penang state government is prepared to see Kedah Menteri Besar, Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor in court over the raw water charge issue in protecting the state's riparian water rights.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said Kedah did not have exclusive rights over Sungai Muda, in fact, part of the river belonged to Penang, hence there was no basis for the Kedah Menteri Besar to claim payment from Penang for abstracting water from Sungai Muda.

"We are ready to meet the Menteri Besar in court if the Kedah government wants to take legal action over the raw charge issue that has been raised," he said in a statement, here, today.

"The fact that Sungai Muda flows through Penang has been documented in the Kedah and Penang (Alteration of Boundary) Act 1985 (Act 325) and stipulated as an Act in Article 2 of the Federal Constitution," he added.

Prior to this, the Kedah government reportedly did not dismiss the possibility of taking the raw water charge claim issue against Penang to court if the issue could not be resolved.

-- BERNAMA