Kedah's request for compensation is illogical - Muhyiddin

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin described as illogical the request by the Kedah government for the federal government to pay RM100 million as compensation for it to halt logging activities in the state.

He said the logging problem in the water catchment areas was created by the state government and now it was asking for compensation from the federal government.

"This (logging) has been done. The land is theirs. They took the timber and now is asking the federal government to give RM100 million," he told reporters after attending the northern zone gathering of the 1Malaysia Young teachers at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Hutan Kampung in Alor Setar, Saturday.

Last Wednesday, Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak, when asking the federal government to pay the RM100 compensation, claimed that it was promised by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad when he was the prime minister.

On a claim by Kedah Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang that the state government's debt had increased by 50 per cent after the opposition pact took over the state's administration, Muhyiddin said if the information was right, it was something serious.

"If it is true, it is better for the state government to investigate. If it can lead to Kedah to become bankrupt, it will burden the Kedah people," he added.