Category: Environment EN

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) is of the view that the Covid-19 pandemic has shown that if we relentlessly destroy, degrade and encroach on nature and ecosystems, public health will be gravely endangered in ways that we have not imagined before. Indeed, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) noted last week that 75 per cent of all emerging infectious diseases in humans are zoonotic, i.e....

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...

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) echoes the recent call by His Royal Highness, Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak, on the need to protect forests and trees. According to media reports, Sultan Nazrin had said that “trees and forests were no longer appreciated, as they both were increasingly seen as commercial produce for timber, while forests were seen as land for commercial farming that resulted in rampant...

In response to the query raised by the Exco for Environment Phee Boon Poh and Tanjung Bungah assemblyperson Zahril Khir Johari, CAP wishes to state that the complaint of the burning smell in the Tanjung Bungah area was raised by a Malaysia My Second Home resident of that area. His complaint, was that he smelled burning plastic at around 4 a.m., two or three times a week, each lasting between one...

The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) is aghast to have read a recent report of open burning of plastics in Relau, Penang. In fact we have also been informed of another case in Tanjong Bungah where plastics were burned in the early hours (about 4am). We call on the government to completely weed out plastic recycling facilities that do not comply to the stringent guidelines available. The...

By Khoo Salma Nasution* The Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) kicked off in 2013 with a RM6.3 billion agreement signed between the Penang State Government and Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd to undertake the building of three highways and a tunnel. A land swap of 3.7 acres was made in payment for the feasibility studies and detailed designs of the highways. The Zenith deal has been plagued by MACC...

Despite Malaysia having sent a total of 3,737 metric tonnes of unwanted waste back to 13 countries as of January 2020, it is still saddled with tonnes of illegally disposed plastic waste across the country. The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) is concerned over such indiscriminate dumping of plastic wastes which poses environmental pollution and also a threat to public health. Between...

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) calls on the Federal government and its relevant agencies to ensure that there is complete transparency and public feedback and consultations before approving any permanent disposal facility (PDF) of Lynas Corporation for its water leach purification residue (WLP) which contains radioactive wastes. SAM was alarmed to learn of Lynas’ recent announcement that the...

The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) and Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM)  strongly object and are upset that the Penang State Government is still continuing with the Masterplan Design Competition (MDC) for the development of three man-made islands under the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project. One month ago, the Chief Minister announced that a formal agreement between the state...