Kenyataan Akhbar                                     16 Julai 2020

Persatuan Pengguna Pulau Pinang (CAP) dan Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) menggesa Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang agar menghormati dan mematuhi proses perundangan berhubung Penilaian Kesan Kepada Alam Sekeliling (Environmental Impact Assessment - EIA) yang termaktub dalam Akta Kualiti Alam Sekeliling 1974 (Environmental Quality Act - EQA). Pada masa kini terdapat rayuan di dalam Lembaga Rayuan yang ditubuhkan di bawah EQA yang mencabar kelulusan EIA tersebut oleh Jabatan Alam Sekitar (JAS).

Tindakan menandatangani perjanjian bersama rakan kongsi penyampaian projek bagi projek SRS dan kenyataan Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang semalam bahawa projek PSR akan dimulakan pada Februari tahun hadapan, meskipun rayuan tersebut belum didengar, adalah menghina hak rakyat yang diberikan oleh undang-undang. Kerajaan seharusnya ingat bahawa negara kita adalah negara berteraskan undang-undang.  

Kami ingin mengingatkan kerajaan negeri bahawa sekitar Julai tahun lalu, perwakilan nelayan dari Sungai Batu, Teluk Kumbar, diketuai oleh Encik Zakaria bin Ismail, mengemukakan rayuan di bawah EQA yang membenarkan pihak-pihak yang tidak berpuas hati dengan keputusan JAS dalam meluluskan EIA, membawa perkara tersebut ke Lembaga Rayuan yang dibentuk di bawah EQA.

Press Release                                             16 July 2020 

The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) and Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) call on the Penang state government to respect and abide by the legal process with regard to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) embodied in the Environmental Quality Act 1974 (EQA).  There is an appeal in the Appeal Board set up under the EQA challenging the approval of the EIA by the Department of Environment (DOE).

The signing of the agreement with the project delivery partners for the SRS project and the statement of the Penang Chief Minister yesterday that the PSR project will commence in February next year, even before the appeal has been heard, is to treat with contempt the rights given by law to our citizens. The government must remember that ours is a nation based on the rule of law.

We would like to remind the state government that sometime in July last year, representatives of fishermen from Sungai Batu in Teluk Kumbar, led by Mr. Zakaria bin Ismail, filed an appeal under the EQA, which allows parties who are aggrieved by the decision of the DOE in approving the EIA to take the matter up to the Appeal Board set up under the Act.

Letter to the Editor                                    10 July, 2020 

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) welcomes recent comments reported by the media by Tan Sri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah, the Chairman of the Sunway Group, on the need for a new iteration of economic growth that prioritises people and the planet; (See 2 July, The Star).

The media reports referred to the Sunway Group’s commitment to the sustainability agenda in advancing the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Asia region.

While we welcome the Tan Sri’s public efforts in promoting the sustainability agenda, SAM would like to remind him on the need for the Sunway Group to walk the talk.

The Kenka boat is tracing the river                      Picture : SAM 

Media Statement                                                    18 March 2020

It is well known that river lobsters are the main catch for 200 to 300 riverine fishers in the Kerian River in Nibong Tebal regardless whether they are full time or part-time fishers. Their daily income and catch depend on the harvest from the river but at present their income seems to have been plundered and threatened by irresponsible parties.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) and Komuniti Nelayan Sungai Tanjung Berembang urge the Penang Fisheries Department, Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP), District & Land Office of Seberang Perai Selatan and the Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID) to conduct field visit and investigate the status of a fish landing platform operating in Sungai Tok Tuntong, Nibong Tebal. The platform has been built on the riverbank of Sungai Kerian and is very unsuitable with the surrounding environment.

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.