Activists protesting against a controversial quarrying project in Gunung Jerai Forest Reserve, Kedah, want the Attorney-General (AG) to investigate the police reports they had lodged over death threats and bribes they had received.

Among them is the assistant secretary of environmental group Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) 'Cikgu' Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid who said that a letter of request would be sent to the AG's Chambers.

"I strongly suspect the threats that I received on Jan 25 were in connection with my involvement (in efforts to organise) against the quarrying project because the perpetrator mentioned my work with SAM," said Azmi when contacted today.

"As the police have not issued any statements on any progress into the matter, I will consult my lawyers today and hope to send the letter to (AG) Abdul Gani Patail with the request. I have the right to request for investigations to be conducted to find out who is behind it," he added.

Azmi was one of 12 representatives of non-governmental organisations and local communities that had on Jan 24 launched a Save Gunung Jerai Campaign to publicise their objections to the quarrying project on Compartment 16 of the forest reserve.

The following day, a person calling himself 'Ah Seng' called on his wife's hand-phone to warn Azmi that he or his family would suffer dire consequences if he did not cease efforts to stop the quarrying project.

"Ah Seng mau ambil siapa-siapa. Cikgu ka ... anak-anak Cikgu ka... (Ah Seng can take anybody. Maybe you... Maybe your children...)," the caller told his wife, who lodged a police report the next day at Merbok police station.

Through SMS

Another activist, secretary of environmental group Setiausaha Angkatan Sahabat Alam Sekitar in Merbok, Aziz Man, also claimed to have received a death threat through SMS. This happened prior to the launching of the campaign on Jan 21.

SAM coordinator Anuar Mahmod alleged that he had long ago been offered a RM 40,000 bribe to lay off from organising against the quarrying project.

The coalition protesting against the project are afraid that it would have adverse effects on the surrounding environment, their socio-economic welfare, and the safety of those living or working in the vicinity of the site.

In a report in the Star today, however, the quarry project contractor denied that any such danger to residents existed as the house closest to the project was 1.2km away.

Kemelong Holdings managing director Husaini Yaacob said the company had taken out a RM1 million insurance policy to cover any accidents or damage from "flying stones" from blasting works or mud flows.

Husaini also said the Kedah state government would earn RM1.3 mil annually in royalty from the granite quarry project, three percent of which would be given yearly to the Singkir Genting, Singkir Badong and Singkir Darat Residents' Welfare Fund.

'Terrified'

Azmi, however, challenged Husaini or state officials who had approved the project to relocate to any of the villages surrounding the site to appreciate the residents' concerns.

"My house is five kilometers away from Gunung Jerai and I get terrified at the sight of the blasting works. Imagine if you were only one kilometer away at the foot of Gunung Jerai," said Azmi.

"Perhaps En Husaini or the Kedah Menteri Besar Mahdzir Khalid would like to move their house next to the site or work in the many orchards below it as do many of the villagers.

"Would they then feel assured that they could claim insurance in case of any accident or damage? What the residents want is not promises of being insured, but that the project is stopped completely," said Azmi.

Azmi also said the villagers he had spoken to were not even aware of the existence of any residents' welfare fund for the villages of Singkir Genting, Singkir Badong and Singkir Darat.