A good start to 'Malaysia Bersih'?

The recent incident at Pantai Lido where thousands of fish were found dead on shore is another concerning development in what I believe is a result from the complete lack of respect that the Pakatan Harapan government truly has for the welfare of Malaysians in face of rampant corporate interest.

According to preliminary water analysis by local authorities, it is suggested that the fish deaths were caused by low oxygen levels in the area around Pantai Lido – no doubt made worse by the high ammonia and phosphate content as revealed in another report.

This does not bode well for the sustainability of the Tropicana Danga Bay Project in the area owned by the eponymous Tropicana Group. If anything it puts into question why was the project approved in the first place and where was the subsequent enforcement towards the project if found dangerous to its surrounding communities.

Sultan Ibrahim Ismail of Johor mentioned in a speech that he did not agree with the rapid development seen in Pantai Lido. Noting the historical context of the beach, he said that any further development at Lido was completely unnecessary considering the presence of Danga Bay.

Sultan Ismail has long opposed the reclamation project – and has consistently made his thoughts on this clear.

So, for me to read that Environment Committee chairperson Tan Chen Choon stating that one of the possible causes for the Pantai Lido beach incident was the land reclamation works in the area - one can’t help but question if Harapan is actually taking the work of governing seriously.

Unfortunately, Johor has become extremely familiar with such incidents – as shown with the events in Pasir Gudang, where the lives of our children were threatened by lax enforcement and policy direction not only once, but on three separate occasions in this year alone.

Let’s face reality – decades of rapid industrialisation have left us with all kinds of environmental damage. The government needs to take charge and turn these environmental challenges into opportunities for sustainability and growth. We are all well aware that the government is paying lip-service on this end; what is needed is for the average Malaysian to see and feel the fruit of these labours.

Take for example, the near-regular water supply disruptions in Selangor state. The state has been under a PKR government for nearly a decade, yet long standing issues on water security not only have remained – but arguably have gotten worse.

The most recent incident where a sand mining operation, owned by Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd (KSSB), a Selangor state-owned GLC sets a bad precedent on how Harapan will address and enforce environmental concerns. My question is where is the follow up on this by the Selangor state government? What are the results of the investigation? Have the perpetrators been identified?

Many more Malaysians are also familiar with the regular incidence of haze, an unfortunate staple of our daily lives. According to WHO, air pollution caused up to 6,251 deaths in Malaysia as of 2012.

This equates to one out of every nine deaths in Malaysia – making it one of the top causes of death in the country.

The causes behind the haze are extremely clear, it is the result of local open burning from fires in Indonesia ostensibly caused by palm oil plantations and in some cases are even owned by Malaysian companies.

Can we expect Pakatan Harapan to take concrete action on this? Or is will that be counter-productive to the supposed “I Love My Palm Oil” Campaign? If loving palm oil equates to endangering the safety of my loved ones on a daily basis – I think the government needs a clear rethink on what exactly is on their agenda.

There clearly is a disconnect on their part if one looks at how they are handling the Lynas issue. Instead of finally moving the companies’ operations abroad, the government apparently has seen fit to become its greatest promoter.

Pakatan Harapan used the wave of public support for "Save Malaysia, Stop Lynas" (SMSL) to come into power. After coming into power, Harapan seems to have lost its way and now favours the foreign corporate interest over local Malaysian interests.

Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin even once gave a dramatic press conference that Lynas must send it wastes back to Australia before it can renew its license

But take a clear good look at the FAQ that was posted by the Prime Minister’s Office and what they are protecting - 600 Malaysian jobs. The failure to smash China’s monopoly on the export of rare earths. Malaysia’s credibility as a business-friendly country for long term investments would be negatively affected.

What does "business-friendly" actually mean in this context? That we are a country that is willing to welcome dirty businesses so long as they provide us with the correct amount of foreign investment?

I acknowledge that much of these issues are legacies left over by the previous administration – where sustainability was never achieved due to flawed implementation.

But Malaysians voted for Harapan to fix these issues. Let’s hope they will actually come around and remember what their mandate actually is. - Mkini