March 2012 – Consumers Association Penang

Gazette water catchments

admin March 29, 2012 0 Comments

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) urges all state governments to take immediate measures to gazette all Permanent Reserved Forests that have been identified as water catchment areas in the country in line with the decision by the National Land Council. This call is to avoid damaging activities such as deforestation and other encroachment, upstream of the water catchment areas as it would be...

Deficiency in management of Malaysian aquaculture industry

admin March 28, 2012 0 Comments

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) urge the Malaysian government to review and halt the rapidly developing aquaculture industry. The Annual Fisheries Statistics of 2010 indicate that the total area of brackish water aquaculture ponds is 7,722.82 hectares, compared with 5,623.69 hectares in 2006. An analysis of changes in mangroves area in the district of Manjung, Perak conducted by the Forest...

Preservation and destruction in Penang’s development

admin March 24, 2012 0 Comments

Development must be located within a vision. What is the vision for Penang’s development, asks Dr Lim Mah Hui. In the past 12 months, we have painfully witnessed the demolition of several historical buildings, some illegally. The latest victim is a mansion at 177 Jalan Macalister, opposite Loh Guan Lye Specialist Centre. First, I would like to request the Council to provide data on all the...

Investigate and stop the Arowana culture project in Bukit Merah

admin March 22, 2012 0 Comments

CAP urges the Perak State Government and the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry to thoroughly investigate the Arowana culture project in Bukit Merah in Kerian District. We had previously revealed that laws were being flouted since the project commenced 10 years ago. The Arowana culture project in a productive rice-growing area has also brought about negative impacts to the...

i-SHARP aquaculture project negatively impacts fisherfolk and the environment

admin March 21, 2012 0 Comments

The 1,000ha Integrated Shrimp Aquaculture Park (i-SHARP) in Setiu is causing negative impacts to the environment and local fisherfolk. SAM’s forecast that the project will bring about negative impacts to local fisherfolk and the environment has been proven. It was evident from the severe flooding during the recent monsoon season. Land reclamation work that was carried out on a flood-plain to...

Urgent need for ban on shark finning

admin March 19, 2012 0 Comments

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) is highly disturbed at news of shark finning carried out regularly in the diving haven of Sipadan, off the coast of Semporna in Sabah. There is no reprieve for sharks as calls from academics, divers, conservationists, social activist and NGOs for a ban on shark hunting have proven futile, following a disclosure from the Sabah Department of Fisheries that a total ban on...

Malaysia must say no to waste incineration

admin March 15, 2012 0 Comments

Waste incinerators are toxic to public health, harmful to the economy, environment and climate, and undermine composting, recycling and waste reduction programmes. Thus CAP is troubled to learn that the Housing and Local Government Ministry plans to conduct a three-week "working laboratory" from March 26 to study the best incineration system for Malaysia. It is reported that experts from local...

Introduce public consultation guidelines

admin March 12, 2012 0 Comments

CAP is compelled to respond to the unwarranted outburst by Penang Chief Minister YB Lim Guan Eng on CAP’s complaint on the lack of public consultation by the State Government on some recent mega projects. The mega projects in question are the construction of a 6.5 km Gurney Drive-Bagan Ajam undersea tunnel, 12 km road connecting Tanjung Bungah-Teluk Bahang, 4.2 km Gurney Drive-Lebuhraya Tun...

Shrimp culture projects affecting Sungai Sepetang natural environment

admin March 7, 2012 0 Comments

CAP urges the Perak state government, the District and Land Office of Larut, Matang and Selama, the Department of Environment (DOE), the Department of Forestry, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) and the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) to investigate and take immediate action to address the pollution problems in Sungai Sepetang, near Taiping. The problem arising...

Suffer the consequences of pesticides use