Press Statement                                         8 Jan 2020  

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) and the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) wish to reiterate our stand that we do not support the proposal for a cable-car project for Penang Hill, as such a project would affect negatively the sensitive and fragile ecosystems of both the Hill and the Penang Botanic Gardens.

The breakdown of the existing funicular railway cannot be used as an excuse to push the cable-car project, without investigating the causes for the breakdown and how to prevent them in the future.

We understand that the maintenance works for the funicular railway are carried out only once in 12 months. With the overuse of the railway and infrequent maintenance, there is bound to be a breakdown. What must now happen is more frequent maintenance works which could be once in 9 months instead, which can prevent the railway from breaking down.

Surat kepada Pengarang                        2 Disember 2019

Seorang pembaca Facebook telah menyuarakan kebimbangannya kepada Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM)  berhubung penggunaan racun tikus secara berleluasa dalam parit di sekitar kawasan Little India di Georgetown, Pulau Pinang. Perkara ini sememangnya membimbangkan kerana sistem perparitan terbuka yang sedia ada menganjur terus ke laut dan selepas hujan lebat, racun itu akan dihanyutkan dan dilarutkan di laut.

Kehadiran tikus sebenarnya berpunca daripada tindak tanduk manusia dan bilangannya semakin bertambah di pekan dan bandar yang bergelut untuk menghapuskannya. Di kawasan bandar dan pinggir bandar, pengguna terbesar racun tikus adalah pengguna biasa yang membelinya di kedai perkakasan untuk kegunaan di rumah, ataupun mengupah pakar kawalan serangga untuk menggunakannya di premis mereka. Di kawasan pertanian pula, ia diguna pakai oleh petani untuk menghapuskan tikus yang mengganggu tanaman mereka.

Tikus suka bertumpu di kawasan yang didiami oleh manusia, dan begitu cepat menyesuaikan diri dengan persekitarannya. Ia gemar mencari makan di dalam dan di sekitar rumah, restoran dan tempat perniagaan. Apabila masuk ke kawasan kejiranan yang mudah untuknya mencari makan, tikus akan berkembang biak. Ia juga gemar mencari makan di kawasan sampah sarap, dari beg buangan dan tin, pasar, taman dan halaman, malah di pusat buangan sampah komuniti.

Letter to Editor                                           2 December 2019

A Facebook reader has expressed  concern to Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) regarding the extensive use of rat poison in drains in the Little India area in Georgetown, Penang. It is indeed worrisome as the open drain system leads directly into the sea and after every heavy downpour the poison gets washed away and diluted in the sea.

Rats are a human made problem and their populations are on the rise with towns and cities struggling to keep up with rat infestations. In urban and suburban areas, the biggest users of rodenticides are regular consumers who buy the products at hardware stores for home use or hire pest-control professionals to treat their property. In agricultural areas, it is applied by farmers to keep rodents away from crops.

Rats like to live where people live adjusting quickly to the neighbourhood. They prefer to feed in and around homes, restaurants and business premises. Upon entering a neighbourhood with easy access to food, they will thrive. They will also settle for scraps from trash bags and cans, wet markets, gardens and yards, and what they can find at the community refuse disposal center. 

Earthworks and hill-cutting being carried out on very steep slopes at Mount Erskine in Penang           Picture : SAM

Press Statement                                         18 Nov 2019

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) is gravely concerned and alarmed over earthworks and hill-cutting being carried out on very steep slopes at Mount Erskine in Penang, quite close to the Mont Residence apartments in Tanjung Tokong.

SAM was alerted to the hill-cutting by concerned Penangites, who shared pictures of the on-going earthworks.

We understand that a significant part of the hill cutting involves slopes above 250 feet (75 m) and are on very steep gradient above 25 degrees.

SAM has also learnt that in September 2018, Penang Hills Watch (PHW), which is an NGO initiative, alerted the State Authorities and the Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang (MBPP) about the hill cutting activities.

Kerja-kerja tanah dan pemotongan bukit dilakukan di cerun yang sangat curam di Gunung Erskine        Gambar : SAM 

Siaran Akhbar                                                         18 November 2019

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) amat cemas dan bimbang berhubung kerja-kerja tanah dan pemotongan bukit yang sedang dijalankan di kawasan cerun yang amat curam di Mount Erskine, Pulau Pinang, berdekatan dengan pangsapuri Mont Residence di Tanjung Tokong.

SAM dimaklumkan berhubung kerja memotong bukit oleh penduduk Pulau Pinang yang amat prihatin dengan keadaan itu, yang turut berkongsi gambar kerja tanah yang sedang berjalan.

Kami difahamkan bahawa sebahagian kerja pemotongan bukit yang begitu ketara itu melibatkan cerun melebihi 250 kaki (75 meter) dan berada pada kecerunan yang amat curam iaitu melebihi 25 darjah.

SAM juga mendapati pada September 2018, Penang Hills Watch (PHW), yang merupakan sebuah inisiatif Pertubuhan Bukan Kerajaan (NGO), telah memaklumkan kepada pihak berkuasa  dan Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang (MBPP) mengenai aktiviti pemotongan bukit.

Press Statment                                             26 July 2019

Scaling down the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project if there is federal funding for the PTMP components such as the Bayan-Lepas Light Rail Transit (LRT) and the Pan Island Link (PIL 1) will not solve the fundamental problems posed by both PSR and the PTMP.

It was reported in the media yesterday that following a meeting with the PKR President Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Chief Minister of Penang, Chow KonYeow that was one of the points of consideration.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia’s (SAM) objection to the PSR and that of the fishermen has been that the mega reclamation project will have massive effects as clearly spelt out recently by the Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry in Parliament who openly admitted (on 16 July) that the reclamation project will destroy and have residual impact on mudflat ecosystems, fishing grounds, turtle landing zones and part of the coral reefs at Pulau Rimau, which is an important ecosystem for the local marine life.

Press Statement                                          25 July 2019

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) has urged the Penang state government to investigate and take immediate action to address the recurrent problem of mud-flows in Bayan Baru. 

SAM regrets that although the problem of mud-flows here has been occurring for more than 10 years till now no effective action has been taken.

Recently on 24 July 2019, thousands of road users and businesses in the area were affected by  mud-flows after a heavy downpour. SAM's survey found that residual mud on the roads around Bayan Baru had led to serious traffic congestion.

Now the situation has become worse because the dust from the dried mud is a nuisance to the public. SAM is concerned that if this issue is not addressed soon it could affect the safety and health of the public.

Press Release                                          5 July 2019

Over the past few days, Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) has been noticing a serious haze problem occurring in Penang with very poor visibility.

We are wondering why the haze is occurring and SAM would like a clarification from the Department of Environment (DOE) about the state of the air quality in Penang.

With the rather high temperatures these past few weeks in the region of 30 degrees C and above and with no rains, the haze seems to have come back.

Siaran Akhbar                                          5 Julai 2019 

Sejak beberapa hari lalu, Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) mendapati masalah jerebu yang serius berlaku lagi di Pulau Pinang dengan jarak padangan yang amat buruk.

Kami tertanya-tanya kenapa jerebu berlaku dan SAM ingin mendapatkan penjelasan daripada Jabatan Alam Sekitar (JAS) mengenai keadaan kualiti udara di Pulau Pinang.

Dengan kadar suhu yang amat tinggi sejak beberapa minggu di kawasan ini dengan 30 darjah Celsius dan lebih dengan ketiadaan hujan, jerebu kelihatan kembali semula.

Adakah kebakaran hutan berlaku semula di Indonesia atau adakah kebakaran berlaku di kawasan utara yang menyumbang kepada jerebu?

Press Release                                         26 June 2019

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) and the Tanjung Bungah Residents’ Association (TBRA) express our shock and alarm at yet another tragedy in the Tanjung Bungah area, near the Lost Paradise Hotel which has claimed four lives yesterday.

The Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang (MBPP) has stated in a press statement that the tragedy was the result of the collapse of a retaining wall which was under construction at the site, which did not have any approval from the authority.

It is indeed shocking that no approvals from the MBPP for the retaining wall construction was obtained by the owners who allowed the earthworks, which appeared to be going on even in the late evening.

Clearly, no lessons have been learnt from the tragic Granito landslide tragedy that happened on 21 October, 2017.