PAS says MB's Sg Bidor pollution response 'deeply embarrassing'

Summary

• PAS leader slams Perak menteri besar for failing to sufficiently address concerns over a pig farm's alleged polluting of Sungai Bidor.

• Idris Ahmad takes issue with Saarani Mohamad’s pointing out that the pig farm is not in the Ayer Kuning area.

AYER KUNING POLLS | PAS has lashed out at Perak Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad's response to the alleged contamination of Sungai Bidor due to pollutants from a Kampung Poh pig farm.

Party's vice-president Idris Ahmad said Saarani's "deeply embarrassing" reply did not sufficiently address critical claims made by Perikatan Nasional, which "exposed" the issue in a press conference yesterday.

"The menteri besar's reply fails to address the direct discharge of waste from the pig farm to Sungai Bidor," Idris said in a Facebook post last night.

"(Saarani) also failed to clarify whether the farm is licensed and whether its location, just 140m from a predominantly Malay-Muslim residence, was approved by the state government."

The Bagan Serai MP also took issue with Saarani's apparent jibe that Kampung Poh is not part of the Ayer Kuning state constituency, which is facing a by-election.

"I would like to ask: is (Saarani) the menteri besar for just Ayer Kuning?

"If this pollution occurred outside of Ayer Kuning, does that make it acceptable?" Idris (above) questioned.

He reiterated PN's claim that Sungai Bidor flows into the Ayer Kuning area, with the river also acting as a secondary water source and recreational spot for the "majority" of residents in the locality.

Yesterday, Saarani said he was leaving it to state authorities to investigate PN's allegations that a pig farm in Kampung Poh contaminated Sungai Bidor.

He added that he would rather not extensively comment on the matter at the moment, as PN appears to be harping on the issue for political gain amid the ongoing by-election.

“When they (PN) want to look for political issues, they will look for faults everywhere until they find something, to the point where they’ll go to areas outside of Ayer Kuning,” Saarani said.

Lodging reports

Earlier, PN claimed to possess scientific evidence proving that the river was polluted due to the pig farm's irresponsible operations.

Idris told the media that tests conducted by a private lab on water samples from the river confirmed that effluent discharged from the farm into the river was polluted and untreated.

He added that while PN is unsure whether the pig farm has obtained the required licences, authorities must do their part to ensure such farms comply with established regulations.

PN has since filed a police report on the matter, with an MACC report expected to be lodged today.

Ayer Kuning voters will cast their ballots on April 26 after a two-week campaign period, during most of which PN raised various issues regarding pig farms in the Malay-majority state seat under the MIC-held parliamentary constituency.

PN is fielding Tapah PN chief Abd Muhaimin Malek while BN has opted to put forth Tapah Umno secretary Yusri Bakir.

PSM deputy secretary-general Bawani KS makes up the three-cornered race for the state seat, which was declared vacant following the death of its incumbent Umno assemblyperson, Ishsam Shahruddin, on Feb 22.

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