By Teresa Kok, MP for Seputeh
The rescue team ploughing through the mud in the search for two missing people believed to be buried under it. – Pic courtesy of the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department
It was reported yesterday that the Pahang sultan has reprimanded Natural Resources and Environment Minister cum Camerons Highlands MP Palanivel for not being serious about the Camerons Highlands landslides.
“What has he done? Nothing… the people are suffering mentally and physically when such a tragedy happens.
“The people voted and chose him during the last election; is this what he gives them?” Sultan Ahmad Shah was quoted saying.
While the environmental ravage of Camerons Highlands has happened for some time, Palanivel and Pahang Mentri Besar Adnan Yaakob must take responsibility for not taking serious, quick and effective actions and measures to save Camerons Highlands.
Adnan Yaakob was reported to say on Nov 7 that he had surveyed Cameron Highlands many times by air and noticed that Cameron Highlands forest had been stripped bare due to excessive land clearing, whether done legally or legally.
He was quoted to further say that if the state government carried out strict enforcement, there would be people who would immediately attack the government as being unhumanitarian, but this is the result ( mud flood ) if no strict enforcement was done.
His remarks have clearly shown that he was admitting that the state government has failed to carry out the necessary enforcement.
He cannot therefore let Palanivel alone take the blame and responsibility.
On July 6 this year, Datuk Seri Palanivel has said that rampant illegal land clearing and occupation in Cameron Highlands has increasingly become rampant, resulting in the affected areas facing risks like landslides and flash floods.
But what was shocking was that he also said “This land encroachment is happening all the time and is a big problem in the highlands there. I don’t know what’s the source of the problem, which is difficult to control although there is monitoring done.”
If he could claim he did not know the source of the problem, how could he be effective in controlling and curbing the land encroachment problem?
Clearly, both Adnan Yaakob and Palanivel should take responsibility for the recent Ringlet tragedy which claimed five lives.
