KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 ― The Kedah government will gazette the Ulu Muda forest as a state park in order to preserve water supply not only for its own state consumption but also to neighbouring Penang and Perlis.
Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir said the decision was made in order to preserve the forest and is in line with the federal government wants, Berita Harian reported today.
“We are going to preserve and nurture the Ulu Muda forest by declaring it a state park.
“The state government is in the process of checking what can and can’t be done in a state park once it’s gazetted and these decisions are in line with what the federal government wants,” Mukhriz was quoted saying.
The Ulu Muda forest is the main water supply water line to the three northern states, supplying 96 per cent of water to Kedah, 70 per cent to Perlis and more than 80 per cent to Penang.
An estimated four million residents in the three states get their piped water supply from there.
Mukhriz also said his state government is interested in turning Kedah into a premier ecotourism destination.
“As we preserve the forest we can also encourage ecotourism activities.”
The Ulu Muda forest covers 163,103 acres and is where the Pedu, Muda, Ahning and Beris dams are located.
