Kedah to use open tender system to control logging(The Star-21 May 08)

KEDAH will use the open tender system for logging activities in the state, said Mentri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak.

He said that this would enable Kedah to control the activities and receive high income.

The state received about RM11.7mil for logging activities between January and April this year.

Azizan said this to a question from Datuk Syed Sobri Syed Hassan (BN – Kuala Nerang).

Speaking after the sitting, Azizan said that the government was working with related authorities to curb illegal logging activities in the state.

He said that so far, the state had received reports of illegal logging activities in Sik and Padang Terap districts.

“The culprits have robbed the state of revenue that we could use for the benefit of the people in Kedah,” he said.

During the same press conference, Azizan said that the state government would meet with Bernas to discuss the rice shortage in the state.

He said that he had met with Malay Rice Millers Association and had discussed with them the rice shortage issue.

“Rice shortage should not happen in Kedah because we are the rice bowl of Malaysia.

“I plan to meet with Bernas and all rice millers to discuss this soon,” he said.

When asked about claims that rice whole-salers had hidden rice stock in antici- pation of the increase in the price of the commodity, Azizan said that he would ask the state executive councillor in charge of the consumer affairs to investigate the mat-ter.