PSM flays 'uncaring' Kelantan gov't
Published: Jan 26, 2015 5:16 AM | Updated: Jan 26, 2015 9:03 AM
Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has flayed the Kelantan government for its "disregard and lack of concern" for the natural environment, which it believes worsened the floods that hit the state.
Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has flayed the Kelantan government for its "disregard and lack of concern" for the natural environment, which it believes worsened the floods that hit the state.
"The Kelantan people have already suffered the bitter consequence of the government’s irresponsible hill slope development during the December 2014 floods, when rivers laden with soil overflowed and inundated entire towns.
"As experts say, the rainfall was unprecedented but hill slope development worsened the flooding," PSM central committee member Rani Rasiah (left) said in a statement today.
Rani believes that mass development for agriculture, as well as logging to clear lands in Gua Musang and Lojing areas, which the state government is responsible for, were key factors for the floods.
"It is not clear what the PAS state government's policy is towards forests and hill slope development, but from what is there for all to see, massive indiscriminate felling of trees seems to be the order of the day, with little replanting, and this has been going on for a long while.
"It appears as if there are no laws requiring logging companies to log responsibly by cutting only mature trees and do compulsory replanting. Either that or there is no proper enforcement," she said.
Rani added that the Kelantan government should not ignore the effect that global warming would have on the state after the recent floods and suggested a few measures the administration should take.
Among them were:
1. Freeze all large scale hillside development
2. Review logging in the state and require loggers to cut only mature trees and carry out replanting
3. Respect Orang Asli land rights and stop appropriating their native customary land. Grant them legal rights over their land.
4. Stabilise the exposed and vulnerable slopes through a reforestation programme.
Last December, Kelantan was among the states worst affected by the floods that hit various parts of the country.
Around 100,000 people were evacuated from the flood areas in the state, with the worst hit areas being Gua Musang and Kuala Krai.
"The Kelantan people have already suffered the bitter consequence of the government’s irresponsible hill slope development during the December 2014 floods, when rivers laden with soil overflowed and inundated entire towns.
"As experts say, the rainfall was unprecedented but hill slope development worsened the flooding," PSM central committee member Rani Rasiah (left) said in a statement today.Rani believes that mass development for agriculture, as well as logging to clear lands in Gua Musang and Lojing areas, which the state government is responsible for, were key factors for the floods.
"It is not clear what the PAS state government's policy is towards forests and hill slope development, but from what is there for all to see, massive indiscriminate felling of trees seems to be the order of the day, with little replanting, and this has been going on for a long while.
"It appears as if there are no laws requiring logging companies to log responsibly by cutting only mature trees and do compulsory replanting. Either that or there is no proper enforcement," she said.
Rani added that the Kelantan government should not ignore the effect that global warming would have on the state after the recent floods and suggested a few measures the administration should take.
Among them were:
1. Freeze all large scale hillside development
2. Review logging in the state and require loggers to cut only mature trees and carry out replanting
3. Respect Orang Asli land rights and stop appropriating their native customary land. Grant them legal rights over their land.
4. Stabilise the exposed and vulnerable slopes through a reforestation programme.
Last December, Kelantan was among the states worst affected by the floods that hit various parts of the country.
Around 100,000 people were evacuated from the flood areas in the state, with the worst hit areas being Gua Musang and Kuala Krai.
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