Irene Chang
SIBU (Sept 6): The setting up of a special task force to investigate the recent Baleh logjam would serve no purpose if its report findings are not revealed to the people, said Irene Chang.
According to the Bukit Assek assemblywoman, this was exactly what happened after the 2010 logjam, when a task force was also set up to investigate the cause of the incident.
“To date, we only had a preliminary report revealed in the following November DUN (State Legislative Assembly) sitting in that year and the preliminary report had briefly put the blame on factors such as heavy rainfall, landslides, and over-saturation of soil,” she said in a statement, adding there has just been a lot of finger-pointing for the 2010 incident.
Chang claimed there has been the same finger-pointing following the recent Baleh logjam.
“Blame has been put on the construction works at the site of the HEP (hydroelectric power) dam, shifting cultivation, and indiscriminate logging activities at the head waters of Batang Baleh,” she said.
“At the end of the day, would this Baleh logjam end up just like the 2010 incident, where the cause of the logjam would never be known and no actions would be taken to ensure that such environmental and ecological catastrophe would ever be allowed to happen again.”
Chang claimed this would reflect badly on the sincerity of the state government in protecting and restoring the ecosystem of the Rajang River and also the livelihoods of the people who depend on the mighty river for their survival.
As such, she said the State government needs to adopt a different approach through the special task force set up for the investigation.
“A time frame needs to be set for this task force to complete their task,” she said, adding the task force should be expected to investigate the incident thoroughly, to assess the possible actions to be taken, bring the culprits to task, and make its recommendations to mitigate the economic loss suffered by the people within this time frame.
She said this report should also be made public and accessible to the people.
“The task force should also look into establishing a Compensation Fund for all those people whose livelihoods have been adversely affected by the logjams, especially those in the aquaculture industry in the Rajang River, and who had suffered a great loss because the logjam had reduced the river’s oxygen levels and which had killed the fishes farmed by them,” she said.
Chang claimed she had received such a complaint from an aquaculture farmer.
“These people are already at their wits’ end to keep their business going in this challenging pandemic time. The destruction of their fishes as caused by the logjam in the river was devastating to them,” she said.
Chang added the State government needs to take responsibility and be accountable through the special task force for the destruction of the ecosystem of the Rajang River.
“Strict follow up actions also need to be taken to make sure that such a logjam would never ever happen again to devastate our ecosystem and the livelihoods of the people,” she said.