Johor Darul Toxic : Enough is Enough - The Rakyat is sick and tired. By Norman Fernandez

“Enough is Enough -  The Rakyat is sick and tired”

Time To Read The Riot Act

Let not anyone play the fool and say that they are shocked with the Pasir Gudang toxic disaster.

The rivers and the isolated areas around Pasir Gudang have  always been a hotspot for disposing waste and in particular toxic waste. Add to that, the waters around the Pasir Gudang port are also the places where oil and other residue from ship repairs are released into the sea. 

So, there is nothing shocking about the toxic contamination at Sg. Kim Kim since as early as 2012, the authorities all had knowledge of what was happening. 

In fact, in 2012 the Malaysian Nature Society, Johor Chapter had highlighted the drop in water quality in Sg. Kim and that the the river was becoming devoid of fishes and other marine life.

The authorities had long known of all the illegal dumping and disposal of toxic waste. This also includes other areas like Sungai Masai and Sungai Sembilan. In fact, it is safe to say, in Johor, that rivers and riversides are favourite dump sites. 

Dumping of rubbish and waste materials and particularly into the rivers and illegal dumpsites is cost effective and cheaper for most factories and in particular illegal factories. 

The reason why it is brazenly done is because of lack of monitoring by all the relevant authorities. 

In fact, just after the Pasir Gudang toxic incident, conveniently there was expose of yet another toxic waste site at Parit Sikom, Muar. 

So, this dumping of toxic waste is happening all over the state. 

Thus it begs the question, do the relevant authorities know how many illegal factories there are in the Pasir Gudang area? 

How then did the relevant authorities allow these illegal factories to operate? 

Next, have the relevant authorities ever inspected the factories and checked and verified how waste, in particular toxic waste, is disposed?  

Who are the authorised and appointed contractors to dispose the toxic waste and do these contractors have the expertise to handle and dispose the toxic waste?

And how do they dispose the toxic waste? 

It can safely be said, most of the appointed contractors simply collect the toxic waste and just dump them in the rivers and at the various illegal dumpsites. 

To digress a little, it is also said that waste materials including toxic material from Singapore, cleverly disguised and not declared, are also brought into Johor for disposal.

Now, even China nationals are in Johor looking for land to open recycling of waste materials. Because China is now extremely strict with disposal of waste materials and land is becoming extremely difficult to obtain for  waste recycling.  So the alternative choice? Johor.

Here is a plea from the rakyat. It is time, for HRH the Sultan Of Johor to read the riot act. HRH the Sultan Of Johor has always taken a deep interest  in the affairs of the state. 

It simply cannot be that the Member of Parliament - past and present - do not know anything about this. 

The State Exco past and present do not know. 

The State Assemblyman past and present do not know. 

The Local Councils do not know, 

The Ahli Majlis did not know. 

The Department Of Environment do not know. 

The Enforcement Officers do not know. 

The Penghulus do not know. 

The Police do not know. 

(OSTB : Our Colgate girl does not know? Selamat Pengantin Baru).

They all should be summoned and directed to do as directed.

Since non of them know or pretend not to know about what is happening in their area, then perhaps HRH the Sultan Of Johor, could directly appoint Wakil Sultan for each area to monitor and report directly to HRH the Sultan of Johor of activities in their respective  areas.

Johor cannot be a place for illegal disposal of whatever waste and that also includes toxic waste.

Norman Fernandez

My comments : This is still a Federal matter. The Federal government is responsible over this.  

The Minister in charge is Yeo Bee Yin. 

  

Our Colgate girl

Here is my advice - get your Ministry to instruct all your State level Directors  to do a super quick and super detailed audit of all cases of toxic waste getting into the environment. 

Audit all the legal disposal sites, illegal dumpsites, river waters, ponds and disused mining pools, sea fronts, inlets, bays etc that have any trace of toxic material. 

And here is something else - construction sites, especially in the Klang Valley and Selangor - are  open burning  construction site trash like used wooden scaffoldings, plastic paint containers, other plastics etc.  The toxic smoke pollutes the air in the area. 

The burning takes place late at night - because they know the Enforcement Officers (State and Federal)  sudah balik tidur. 

I can vouch for certain that at least two large construction sites in the Putra-Mahkota area (Bangi) burn their construction waste late at night.  Plastic materials, wood, and other construction site trash etc are burnt in the open.  Toxic fumes pollute the whole area.

Yeo Bee Yin wake up.  There is much that needs to be done.