Galakkan Kawalan Biologi untuk Mengawal Serangan Tikus
Surat Kepada Pengarang 3 Ogos 2018
Pesawah di Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang telah merayu bantuan lanjutan kemusnahan tanaman padi mereka tetapi rayuan ini tidak sia-sia. Jabatan Pertanian Negeri telah membantu mereka dengan memberi cadangan kawalan tikus secara biologi di sawah padi.
Menggunakan burung hantu untuk memerangi populasi tikus merupakan idea lama yang kini digiatkan semula oleh banyak sektor industri pertanian. Ini sebahagiannya, akibat tekanan daripada kumpulan pengguna dan alam sekitar untuk mengurangkan penggunaan bahan kimia pertanian di sawah. Tetapi kredit juga mestilah diberikan kepadatanggapan bahawa alam boleh menjadi sekutu petani dalam menentang makhluk perosak.
Mengakui nilai burung hantu sebagai pakar pemburu tikus, petani dengan mudah boleh menggalakkan kehadiran mereka dengan menyediakan tempat untuk bersarang memandangkan burung itu lebih tertarik kepada hampir sebarang kawasan yang terlindung dan ruang yang gelap. Burung ini juga boleh bertolak ansur dengan sedikit bunyi bising dan kekecohan di sekitar sarangnya selagi ia tidak diancam secara langsung. Selagi bekalan makanan terus diperolehi, burung hantu ini akan kembali semula.
Prof. Madya Dr. Hafidzi Mohd Noor dari Universiti Putra Malaysia dalam memberikan jawapan kepada pertanyaan penduduk mengenai burung hantu (The Star, 16 Januari 2017) menjelaskan bahawa burung hantu merupakan satu bentuk kawalan biologi untuk tikus. Berbanding ular, burung hantu lebih sesuai untuk mengurangkan bilangan tikus, memandangkan burung hantu jantan boleh menangkap 10 ekor tikus untuk dibawa ke sarangnya pada waktu malam.
Read morePromote Biological Control to Combat Rodent Attack
Padi farmers in Kepala Batas, Penang are crying out for help because of destruction to their rice crops, but their cries are not in vain for the state Agriculture Department has come to their rescue through the biological control of rats in the paddy fields.
Using barn owls to fight rodent populations is an old idea that is getting a second look by many sectors of the agriculture industry. This is, in part, due to pressure from environmental and consumer groups to reduce agro-chemical use in the field. But credit must also be given to the notion that nature can often be a farmer's ally in battle against pests.
Recognizing the barn owl's value as expert rodent hunters, farmers can easily encourage their presence by providing nesting sites as the birds are attracted to almost any snug, dark cavity. The birds will tolerate a fair amount of noise and commotion around their nest as long as they are not directly threatened. So long as the food supply remains dependable, the owls will return again and again.
University Putra Malaysia’s Assoc Prof Dr Hafidzi Mohd Noor in answering residents queries about barn owls (Star 16 Jan 2017) explained that barn owls were a form of biological control for rats. Compared to snakes, the owl is more suitable for reducing the number of rats, as a male owl can bring up to 10 rats back to its nest in a night.
Segera tangani masalah tumpahan minyak akibat kapal karam di Permatang Damar Laut, Pulau Pinang
Kenyataan Akhbar 27 Julai 2018
Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) menggesa agensi kerajaan serta pihak berkuasa di Negeri Pulau Pinang supaya mengambil tindakan segera bagi menangani masalah tumpahan minyak yang berlaku di perairan laut Pulau Pinang ekoran dari kejadian kapal kargo luar negara yang membawa muatan ikan karam akibat berlanggar dengan bangkai kapal karam di Permatang Damar Laut, Pulau Pinang.
Mengulas kejadian yang berlaku pada pagi 26hb Julai 2018 dan laporan dari beberapa akhbar tempatan menyatakan punca pelanggaran tersebut berlaku adalah disebabkan oleh kerosakan lampu kelip “boya” yang tidak berkelip sewaktu kejadian. “Boya” tersebut merupakan penanda kepada bangkai kapal karam yang dikenali sebagai “tukun kapal simen” di kawasan berkenaan.
Read moreCAP against rm1 bil loan for penang transport
SAM support
CAP Press Release 23 July 2018
The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) is shocked that the Penang State Government is seeking a RM 1 billion loan from the Federal Government to jump start the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) to facilitate the Pan Island Link (PIL) and the Light Rail Transit (LRT) projects.
Earlier, the Penang Chief Minister Chow KonYeow and his predecessor who is presently the Finance Minister, had assured the public that the project would not involve any public funds.
Now a different story is being told and if this loan goes through, it may put at risk the financial situation of the state of Penang. There are large economic and environmental risks associated with the PTMP and it is doubtful that some key projects linked to the plan can generate revenue to pay for themselves.
Moreover, what if it is later found that the RM 1 billion is insufficient and the State would have to borrow even more? This will only add a heavier burden on the State and the people of Penang.
We have been told by the Federal government, including the Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng that Malaysia cannot afford to have new mega-projects because of the trillion-ringgit national debt.
Why should an exception be made for the PTMP? The estimated cost of the project is over RM40 billion.
Read morePenang State Government Should Review Its Mega Projects
SAM Support
CAP Press Release 31 May 2018
The federal government has announced it is reviewing expensive projects in view of the high debts and the need to improve the financial situation. CAP congratulates the government for this move. So far the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail project and the Klang Valley MRT 3 project have been cancelled while the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) and other projects are being reviewed.
CAP congratulates the federal government for these bold and quick moves to save much-needed funds and improve the nation’s finances.
This review of mega projects should not be limited to federal projects. The same review should be done by state governments, on the same principle of avoiding luxury projects and saving costs to protect the finances of the nation and state and the rakyat’s future.
The Penang state government should review the expensive projects it is involved in, and put them on hold until such a review is completed.
CAP is concerned that the new Chief Minister has made it a priority to speed up the implementation of the state’s expensive projects especially those related to the Transport Plan. He even hoped that the new Finance Minister, who is the previous Penang Chief Minister, will be able to assist Penang in getting the projects implemented.
Read moreGovernment must act now in wake of 4 November Penang flood tragedy
Press Statement 5 Nov 2017
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.
Tanah Runtuh di Tanjung Bungah – Kerajaan Negeri dan MBPP Mesti Menjelaskan Kenapa Bantahan JAS Tidak Dipedulikan dan Perlu Bertanggungjawab
Kenyataan Akhbar 23 Oktober 2017
Persatuan Pengguna Pulau Pinang (CAP), Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) dan Persatuan Penduduk Tanjung Bungah (TBRA) amat terkejut apabila mendapati bahawa Kerajaan Negeri dan Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang (MBPP) memilih untuk tidak mempedulikan bantahan oleh Jabatan Alam Sekitar (JAS) bagi tapak pembangunan projek kediaman di Lembah Permai, Tanjung Bungah.
JAS telah menolak permohonan bagi kebenaran merancang selepas mengambilkira bahawa tapak pembangunan itu terletak berdekatan kawasan kuari dan tidak terdapat zon penampan antara projek apartmen dan aktiviti kuari berdekatan seperti yang dinyatakan dalam ‘Garis Panduan Tapak dan Zon Kawasan Kediaman dan Industri’.
Read moreTanjung Bungah Landslide- State Government and MBPP must explain why DOE objection ignored and be held accountable
Press Statement 23 October 2017
The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP), Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) and Tanjung Bungah Residents Association (TBRA) are shocked to learn that the State Government and the Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang (MBPP) have chosen to ignore the objection of the Department of Environment (DOE) for siting the development of the residential project in Lembah Permai, Tanjung Bungah.
The DOE had rejected the application for planning approval after taking into consideration that the development site is located close to a permanent granite quarry and as there was no buffer zone between the apartment project and the quarrying activities nearby, as required by the ‘Guidelines of Siting and Zoning of Industries and Residential Areas’.
Read moreNelayan Pantai Menjadi Mangsa Projek Tambak Laut Di P.Pinang
Kenyataan Media 5 Oktober 2017
Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) kesal serta bimbang berhubung ancaman berterusan ke atas kehidupan lebih 4,000 nelayan pantai Pulau Pinang berikutan projek tambak laut yang sedang dan akan dilaksanakan di negeri ini.
Walau pun banyak bantahan telah dibuat oleh nelayan-nelayan pantai yang terlibat dan SAM sebelum ini namun hingga sekarang belum menampakkan jaminan kukuh dari kerajaan Pulau Pinang bahawa projek tersebut tidak mengancam alam sekitar dan kehidupan masyarakat nelayan di negeri ini.
Kejadian terbaru yang menimpa nelayan pantai Batu Uban di sini membuktikan bahawa pihak yang bertanggungjawab tidak memberi perhatian sewajarnya bagi membela nasib dan kehidupan nelayan kini dan pada masa akan datang.
Berikutan sikap acuh tak acuh pihak itu banyak aduan dan rungutan yang SAM terima dari nelayan terbabit mengenai kemerosotan hasil tangkapan yang mereka alami berpunca dari projek tambak laut yang telah dilaksanakan di beberapa kawasan di negeri ini.
Read moreNeed to stop further hill and tree cutting and over-development in Penang
Press Release 15 September 2017
Sahabat Alam Malaysia and the Consumers’ Association of Penang are alarmed by the massive flash floods that hit Penang both on the island and the mainland following intense downpours throughout the early morning of Friday, 15 September.
Apart from many areas in Penang under water, we also received news of landslides and mudslides in several areas such as in Tanjung Bungah and Paya Terubong, where hill cutting is going on for more high-rise projects.
Clearly, despite previous incidences of floods and landslides in Penang following intense rains, we do not seem to have learned any lessons.
Heavy tropical storms are to be expected in Penang and in the country.
Read more