I was among the many who were quite shocked and saddened to read of the problems several NGOs including Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) were having with the PAS-led Kedah state government.
I am now happy to learn from sources in Kedah that the PAS-led government will now meet NGO leaders to discuss a number of contentious projects in the state, including the planned Kedah hydrocarbon hub.
It is indeed heartwarming to learn that the assurance came from agriculture, industry, investment, science and innovation committee head, Amiruddin Hamzah who has gone on record to state that he has already spoken to Kedah Menteri Besar, Azizan Abdul Razak about the complaints from NGOs.
Anything that happens in Kedah is close to my heart as I had my early years in Sungai Petani before moving to Butterworth, studying at the prestigious Ibrahim school.
During my years with the Socio-economic Research Unit (Seru) in the Prime Minister’s Department and my tenure with several leading environmental and consumer movements in Penang, I had worked extensively in several northern states, among them, Kedah for several years’ right from 1979.
It is true that whatever the case or problem was, we had always had cordial discussions with the state governments and in most cases, the issues were settled bearing in mind the rights and interests of the people and the environment.
So I can understand the anger and disappointment the NGOs have when they witness the resurrection of billion-ringgit prestigious projects that will have major negative impact on the rights and interests of local people and the environment.
The hydrocarbon hub project is one such project. There is enough documentation that this project will certainly damage the environment and threaten the livelihood of fishermen in the Yan district area.
This mega-project is projected to cost six private investors RM83 billion and will consist of oil storage facilities and refineries built on a 360-hectare man-made island off the Yan district coast and a 320km-long pipeline stretching to Bachok on the eastern coast of Kelantan.
One concern is why was there an about turn by those who opposed this project alongside the NGOs before the March 8 elections. Coming into power as the state government under Pakatan Rakyat, they have now given their blessings for this project.
We all know that if the project goes through, it is speculated that the Kedah government will earn about RM200 million a year from the hub once it is up and running but the pertinent question is at what cost?
It is important now that the Kedah Pakatan government re-examine the concerns raised which include the quarrying and logging projects in Singkir at Gunung Jerai and Sungai Ilir in Bandar Bharu, and the alleged health hazards posed to communities in the area from the petrochemical industrial activities. There are valid health concerns attached to this project.
It would do the present Kedah government some good to get the environment department to initiate an independent environmental and social impact assessment study on all these concerns and have a forum to discuss the findings in an open, accountable and transparent manner.
If indeed the findings show no cause for alarm, then by all means, the projects should be allowed to proceed but if the findings show even an iota of possibility of serious environmental and social repercussions – then the project proposed should - in all fairness - be scrapped.
The writer is president, Consumers Association of Subang and Shah Alam, Selangor.
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