Resort facing sewage complaint is operating illegally, says exco man

 

Stills from a video clip purportedly showing raw sewage being pumped out to sea.

GEORGE TOWN: A resort caught spewing what appears to be raw sewage into a beach at Pulau Perhentian Kecil was illegally built and is also operating illegally, a Terengganu government official said today.

Terengganu executive councillor Dr Alias Razak said the resort had repeatedly been issued notices by the Besut District Council but had continued to break the law.

He said the council had fined the resort RM50,000 two years ago. “The building does not have planning permission. Repeated notices were issued but were ignored. We are pursuing legal action against them,” he told FMT.

Alias said five other resorts in the Perhentian islands had also been found to be operating without approval and without proper sewage management facilities.

A group of six women holiday-makers recently complained of suffering severe food poisoning for two weeks after spending time in the sea near one of the resorts.

According to online booking sites, the resort is one of the favourite properties on the island.

Checks by FMT showed that an itinerary of three days and two nights for two persons will cost close to RM3,000. The rate includes transport from the airport to the jetty, a boat ride to the island, drinks, meals and cocktails and a snorkelling trip.

Terengganu health department director Dr Kasemani Embong said last week that no complaints of food poisoning cases had been reported in Perhentian from 2021 until June 5.

Kasemani said that 49 food premises were investigated, of which food safety officers gave 17 outlets a Grade A, and 32 others a Grade B – which was considered excellent.

Bar Council environmental committee chair Roger Chan said in Kuala Lumpur that an urgent audit of all resort licences was needed in light of the food poisoning case.

He said it was an offence under the Environmental Quality Act for anyone to release untreated waste or even treated waste without permission from the environment minister.

“For resort operators to stealthily talk about other resorts pumping sewage water into the beach, it goes to question what the authorities have been doing. This is a small island, not Hawaii, Madagascar or Seychelles. Where is the enforcement? What is the environment minister doing?” he said.

“Start knocking on all doors and demand for their licenses. Then, order those without to shut immediately for public health reasons,” he said. - FMT