HALT SAND DREDGING IN TANJUNG BUNGAH AND PENANG – CALL CAP AND SAM

The Consumers Association of Penang and Sahabat Alam Malaysia demand that the Penang State Government immediately orders the stopping of sand dredging and mining at the estuaries of Sungai Kelian and Sungai Kechil in Tanjung Bungah in Penang.

We share the grave concerns of residents and fishermen living near the coastline near these areas reported in the news today.  Such activities are destroying the beaches and the coastline in the areas concerned.

The taking of sand from a highly populated part of Penang, thus destroying the beach environment there,  to beautify the beach in a hotel stretch of beach in another part of Penang is like “robbing Peter to pay Paul”.

This is unethical, immoral and worthy of strong condemnation.

In addition to the call for immediate halt to the sand dredging and mining in Tanjung Bungah, we also make the following demands to the authorities:

1.    The Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) should immediately stop any sand dredging and mining works along the beaches and seas in Penang until further notice.

2.    The State Government and the DID should reveal what other plans or actions they have for sand dredging and mining in Penang and allow for public scrutiny and comment of these plans or actions.

3.    Until then, all sand dredging and mining activities in Penang must stop.

4.    The State should also reveal if an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was done for the sand dredging and mining in Tanjung Bungah and what the results were.

5.    The sand that was dredged and mined from the beaches in Tanjung Bungah should be put back so that the original state of the environment there is restored.

Press Statement, 10 December 2016