'YOU ARE MENTALLY RETARDED': PAHANG MB ADNAN YAAKOB's SHOCKER

The bauxite mining issue in Kuantan has given me a new glimpse into Alzheimer’s disease.

Environment expert Dr Azman Azid says long-term exposure to bauxite dust could lead to Alzheimer's disease among the mine workers and nearby residents, as the bauxite dust could affect the oxygen content in the blood stream and and hence oxygen supply to the nervous system.

Adnan Yaakob should have agreed to this argument. However, during a recent press conference the menteri besar instead queried the IQ of reporters when confronted with questions on the bauxite mining issues in the state.

He repeatedly told the reporters, "You are mentally retarded!"

He even used his finger to point at the head at the end of the press conference, as if to remind the reporters not to forget to see a neurosurgeon.

I began to worry whether the reporters began to show signs of dementia as Dr Azman had earlier warned, having exposed themselves to bauxite dust during their frequent recent visits to Kuantan's bauxite mining areas to cover first hand news on this issue.

Of course, I was equally concerned that the Pahang state government had presented signs and symptoms of dementia especially on the issue pertaining to environmental management.

People suffering from dementia, Alzheimer's and other similar illnesses may experience deleted memories from their brains, unable to remember many things they have come across. These people may even have tremendous difficulty to address very simple and current issues in a logical approach.

Dementia is diagnosed once an individual begins to lose his memory, ability to think rationally and respond to external environment changes.

And these three conditions seem to happen to the state government under Adnan Yaakob.

Talking about memory loss, the state government appear to have forgotten about the public panic and outcry over the Lynas rare earth plant some two years back. It has most positively forgotten the frequent landslides and floods in Cameron Highlands in recent years, claiming precious lives and causing massive economic losses.

I believe many still remember these two environment-related disasters with the only exception of Mr Adnan and his administrative team.

As for the ability to think reasonably, the human brains have been designed to pick up some valuable lessons and inspirations from past experiences and misdeeds, from there they will seek effective solutions so that the same mistakes will not be repeated.

Unfortunately Adnan et al have allowed such environmental disasters to keep happening, and are totally clueless how to fix the problems. Sure enough the bauxite mines should be allowed to operate and the state government should be allowed to tax the miners, but before a project is even approved, its environmental impact should have been carefully assessed and monitored to ensure that the existing environment as well as the nearby residents' livelihoods would not be jeopardized.

The state government should have mapped out a whole set of safety measures from the mining to transportation of the ore, followed by strict enforcement of the same.

Thirdly, the state government severely lacks the ability to respond to changes in the existing environment.

Environmental degradation at bauxite mining sites has been evident for quite some time now, and the government seems to be totally disinterested despite public outcry, not even after the scandal has come under media limelight with civil groups beginning to apply pressure and the federal government beginning to step in.

Adnan's response remains recalcitrant, non-definitive and evasive, including questioning the IQ of reporters, and would only budge reluctantly when served with an ultimatum from the federal government. - http://www.mysinchew.com/