PUTRAJAYA: The government has decided not declare Bukit Merah, Perak and Timah Tasoh, Perlis as disaster areas after considering the financial and legal aspects.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said there were great implications involved if the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) were to declare those areas as disaster areas.
"We have taken into consideration the state governments' request for the declaration; however, we must study the matter in detail.
"If the states are declared as disaster areas, the government must pay compensation to farmers; these were among other details that must be considered", he said after chairing the high-level Cabinet Committee on Disasters today.
However, he said, the meeting had suggested for the installation of pipes to Tasik Merah, deepening of Tasik Merah and others to mitigate the water shortage problem.
Zahid said seven out of 41 dams in the country were at critical level.
The dams are Bukit Merah, Timah Tasoh, Gemencheh, Lebam, Congok, Layang and Labong.