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Government must act now in wake of 4 November Penang flood tragedy

  • Publication Date | November 5, 2017
  • Document Type | Media Statement
  • Programmes | Development & Planning
  • Issues | Biodiversity, Conservation, Urban Development
  • Tags | Floods, hill slopes, Penang, river reserve
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The Consumers’ Association of Penang and Sahabat Alam Malaysia  are very distressed by the tragedy that has taken place yesterday and early morning today in Penang.  

The floods, landslides and the disruption of people’s lives are even much worse than what happened on 15th Sept. 

Yes – there was non stop rain and very high winds, but the major factors causing this mega flood and landslides  have been the removal of the hill forests,silting of the rivers and overdevelopment in Penang which has replaced the green areas with concrete. This has resulted in the heavy rainfall not being able to be drained because of the loss of trees and fields which act as a sponge absorbing the water and because the rivers and drainage system are clogged up by silt and cannot clear the rain water. 

The State government has to fully recognise that we are in a state of environmental and social crisis. It can no longer be in a state of denial. It must at last recognise that we have genuine manifold problems and that these problems have to be tackled head on, instead of the State being on the defensive and denying that there is any crisis or problems. 

CAP and SAM demand the following actions:

1. The State government has to allocate much more funds to rehabilitate and repair the damaged hill slopes as well as to resuscitate the rivers so that they can flow in a proper way;

2. It must allocate many more staff to check hill slopes and land adjacent to hills and to take preventive measures;

3. It must pressure and require private developers to take extra preventive measures and if they are found not to do so, or that future rainfall causes similar problems, they have to be seriously prosecuted in court and made to pay the penalties;

4. The State has to examine the inadequacies and loopholes in the laws and guidelines for environmental quality, hillside development, adequate drainage and to take action to redress these inadequacies and loopholes.

The following actions should also be taken:- 

1. Stop all work in hill slopes or in hill land irrespective of whether these lands and slopes are below or above 250 feet until a review is done on all projects and activities in these areas.

2. Stop all works that are being done on land areas adjacent to hill slopes or hill land which carry risks of erosion and landslides

3. All approved projects on hill land and on lands that have hill slopes, whether or not they are above 250 feet should be put on hold and they should be reviewed and extra measures should be imposed to ensure they are safe and there must be strengthened enforcement to monitor these projects. 

4. Stop the approval of all new projects on hill lands and hill slopes  and on land adjacent to hill slopes whether or not such lands are above 250 feet or not.

5. There should be no development on river reserves.

6. The State government has to have an overhaul of the way in which it undertakes state planning as well as planning and project assessment and approval process by the municipal authorities. They must put the interest of the people and the environment far above the interest of the developers. 

7. The Federal government must also play a major role.  It must allocate emergency funds for Penang to tackle the problems of risky hill slopes, landslides and floods. 

8. The Federal government should immediately strengthen its own activities in the areas where it has jurisdiction such as the imposition of the environmental impact assessment on projects and to undertake the responsibilities on the approval process seriously  as well as to monitor the environmental impact of projects as they are being developed. 

S. M. Mohamed Idris

President

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Testimonials

Sahabat Alam Malaysia adalah satu badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) yang telah sekian lama berjuang mempertahan kelestarian alam. Ia juga mendidik masyarakat tentang pentingnya kebersamaan dalam pemikiran dan tindakan agar alam ini dapat kita wariskan kepada generasi hadapan dalam keadaan yang elok dan terpelihara. Dalam pada itu juga SAM giat membantu golongan nelayan pantai dalam memperjuangkan hak-hak mereka sehinggalah tertubuhnya Persatuan Pendidikan dan Kebajikan Nelayan Pantai Malaysia (JARING). Nelayan pantai sepenuh masa ini dididik oleh SAM sehingga mereka mampu memainkan peranan sebagai pemimpin nelayan yang meneruskan kesinambungan memperjuangkan hak-hak nelayan pantai lainnya. Sebagai contoh SAM telah berjaya menyedarkan masyarakat nelayan keperluan menjaga hutan paya bakau untuk kebaikan hasil tangkapan nelayan itu sendiri.
Jamaluddin Mohamad Bualik
Jamaluddin Mohamad BualikPersatuan Pendidikan dan Kebajikan Jaringan Nelayan Pantai Malaysia (JARING)
During the 1980s, I used to read about the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) in the news. After retirement, some time in 2001, while lazing around, I read news about the construction of a carbon in leach plant using sodium cyanide to extract gold in Bukit Koman. My friends and I visited CAP and we were introduced to SAM and her legal team. We discussed the details of filing a case against the gold mining company and the department of environment with Ms Meenakshi Raman and her legal team. That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship between lawyers from SAM and many of us from Bukit Koman. We had many ups and downs in our struggle to shut down the gold mine that was causing a nuisance in our village. But, as a community we never gave up because SAM had our backs.
Hue Fui How
Hue Fui HowSecretary, Bukit Koman Ban Cyanide in Goldmining Action Committee (BCAC)
Sahabat Alam Malaysia adalah sebuah NGO yang memperjuangkan nasib masyarakat luar bandar khasnya. SAM menerima aduan-aduan masyarakat dan menyelesaikan masalah yang dihadapi. SAM telah mewujudkan ramai aktivis-aktivis sosial dan alam sekitar. Pada era 1980 dan 90an SAM sangat dihormati oleh masyarakat dan agensi kerajaan. Apabila media sosial menguasai maklumat maka SAM pun terkesan dan masalah masyarakat terus disalurkan dengan pelbagai cara. SAM perlu mewujudkan aktivis-aktivis pelapis yang muda untuk terus membantu masyarakat. SAM juga perlu membuat perubahan supaya banyak turun kelapangan dan jangan mengharapkan laporan media sahaja. Tingkatkan prestasi sebagaimana pada zaman kegemilangan SAM di era 80-90an.
Che Ani Mt Zain
Che Ani Mt Zain
SAM taught me the importance of social activism and the role it plays in upholding the rights of people and the protection of the environment. In my experience, SAM has never hesitated to speak up in defence of people and their environment, and has gone the extra mile to champion their rights, by helping communities take their battles to the higher ups and even to the courts.
Jessica Binwani
Jessica BinwaniPublic/Private Interest Lawyer
Semenjak kami kenal SAM, banyak pengalaman dan pengetahuan yg kami dapat. Kami telah belajar cara membuat baja asli daripada SAM. Semenjak itu, bermulalah minat kami dalam aktiviti pertanian. Dengan memperolehi kemahiran dalam membuat baja asli dan penanaman lestari, kami juga telah dapat menambahkan pendapatan sampingan kami. Ini lebih baik daripada tanah kami terbiar dan tidak diusahakan. Terima kasih SAM kerana sudi memberi bantuan dan tunjuk ajar kepada Persatuan kami.
Chedo Anak Nyuwen
Chedo Anak NyuwenPersatuan Penduduk Sg Buri, Bakong, Marudi
My journey with SAM started when her community organisers took me to the meet the paddy farmers of Kedah, connecting my growing interest in environmental law with our people who struggle to work the land in the face of pollution, replacement of traditional seeds with commercial hybrids and their accompanying chemical package of fertilisers and weedicides. I then had the honour to work with SAM in the struggle for the rights of the native communities of Sarawak, in defence of their forests from massive logging and destructive mega-projects. In every issue that SAM takes up, she combines rigorous research with the realities and voices of the communities to advocate for policies and laws that care for people and nature. From the courts to the elected legislators to policy makers and implementers and to the United Nations, SAM walks side by side with the communities in Malaysia. How can I not be inspired by the vision and passion of the generations of women and men who coalesce to form SAM?
Chee Yoke Ling
Chee Yoke Lingstudent of SAM, Executive Director of Third World Network, SAM’s sister organisation

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Sahabat Alam Malaysia (Headquarters)
No. 1, Jalan Joki, 11400 Penang,
Malaysia
Tel: +604 827 6930
Fax: +604 827 6932

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (Marudi Office)
129A, First Floor,
Jalan Tuanku Taha,
P.O.Box 216,
98058 Marudi, Baram, Sarawak,
Malaysia
Tel & Fax: +6085 758 973

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