GEORGE TOWN, Dec 17 ― Penang was one of the first states in the country to gazette its water catchment areas and permanent forest reserves, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said today, despite the environment and water minister’s claim otherwise.

Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man had previously claimed the Penang government has yet to do so.

Chow said the Penang government had gazetted its water catchment area covering 6,288.95 hectares under the Water Supply Enactment 1998 on December 2, 2004.

He added that the gazetted area included 3,565ha of permanent forest reserve.

However, Chow admitted that permanent forest reserves and water catchment areas were not gazetted under the National Forestry Act 1984.

"The state exco on December 2 has approved the gazetting of 3,790.54ha of permanent forest reserves as water catchment areas under Section 10 (1) (e) of the National Forestry Act 1984,” he said in a press conference in Komtar today.

He said the total permanent forest reserve to be gazetted under the National Forestry Act is about five per cent more as it included other permanent forest reserves that was not gazetted in 2004.

He said the forestry department is in the process of gazetting the permanent forest reserve and the gazette is expected to be published next June.

Chow stressed that the state did not refuse to gazette its permanent forest reserve as water catchment areas and has even agreed to expand the areas of forest reserves to be gazetted.

"The issue arise because the forest reserves were gazetted under a different enactments but both acts have the same purpose, which is to protect the areas as water catchment areas to protect our water supply,” he said.