An Orang Asli village near Gua Musang was flooded today as the rising Sungai Kelaik waters broke an embankment built by a steel factory.
According to Kampung Kelaik resident Uda Busu, the 3pm incident almost took the life of a child playing by the river.
"Our children play there and one of them barely managed to move up to land when the river water came rushing in.
"Otherwise, he would have been swept away," he said when contacted.
He said that a Kampung Kelaik resident who worked as a guard at the factory had ran to the village to warn other villagers.
"The water submerged our farms soon after but luckily our homes are on stilts.
"But if it rains more tonight,another embankment built by the factory will break.
"We're afraid it will submerge the whole village and we'll be swept away to Kota Baru," he said, half-joking.
Kampung Kelaik is about 60km away from Gua Musang.
The river is the village's only source of water, but residents complain the water has turned red since the factory started operations.
According to Kampung Kelaik resident Uda Busu, the 3pm incident almost took the life of a child playing by the river."Our children play there and one of them barely managed to move up to land when the river water came rushing in.
"Otherwise, he would have been swept away," he said when contacted.
He said that a Kampung Kelaik resident who worked as a guard at the factory had ran to the village to warn other villagers.
"The water submerged our farms soon after but luckily our homes are on stilts."But if it rains more tonight,another embankment built by the factory will break.
"We're afraid it will submerge the whole village and we'll be swept away to Kota Baru," he said, half-joking.
Kampung Kelaik is about 60km away from Gua Musang.
The river is the village's only source of water, but residents complain the water has turned red since the factory started operations.
‘Company verifying claim’
When contacted, Sterling Goldhill Sdn Bhd, the factory’s contractor, said it was still verifying the Orang Asli’s claim.
“The Orang Asli have made many claims before this, I will need visit the site to check,” said company manager Julice Chu.
However, Chu noted that there had been heavy rainfall in the region and the increase in water levels was not exclusive to Sungai Kelaik.
The factory, which is a 40-minute journey uphill by four-wheel-drive vehicle from the village, stores its rusty red waste water used in processing iron ore in large ponds.
Previously, Malaysiakini had reported complaints by local villagers who claimed that the factory’s waste water had seeped out of the ponds into the water stream and turned their rivers red.
The company denied this, stressing that no waste water enters the river stream and the water is recycled and reused.
The company had claimed that the red rivers was a result of soil being washed into the water during the rainy season.
A lab analysis December last year on the river water directly downstream of the mine tailings pond showed high levels of iron.
However, at that time, the river water farther downstream near Kampung Kelaik, was still found to be at safe levels.
When contacted, Sterling Goldhill Sdn Bhd, the factory’s contractor, said it was still verifying the Orang Asli’s claim.
“The Orang Asli have made many claims before this, I will need visit the site to check,” said company manager Julice Chu.
However, Chu noted that there had been heavy rainfall in the region and the increase in water levels was not exclusive to Sungai Kelaik.
The factory, which is a 40-minute journey uphill by four-wheel-drive vehicle from the village, stores its rusty red waste water used in processing iron ore in large ponds.
Previously, Malaysiakini had reported complaints by local villagers who claimed that the factory’s waste water had seeped out of the ponds into the water stream and turned their rivers red.
The company denied this, stressing that no waste water enters the river stream and the water is recycled and reused.
The company had claimed that the red rivers was a result of soil being washed into the water during the rainy season.
A lab analysis December last year on the river water directly downstream of the mine tailings pond showed high levels of iron.
However, at that time, the river water farther downstream near Kampung Kelaik, was still found to be at safe levels.
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