TASEK GELUGOR: The Protection of the Natural Heritage of Malaysia (Peka) has joined the chorus of calls to the Penang government to stop hillslope developments to prevent a recurrence of disasters in the state.
Its president Puan Sri Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil said the state government, under Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, must take heed of the landslides and major floods recently, as a lesson to stop clearing the hillslopes.
She stressed that there was no need for a review of hillslope projects, rather they should be stopped for the safety of the people.
"We asked for an immediate halt to developments. We also asked for a halt to all coastal reclamations as they will aggravate the situation further.
"There is more than enough developments in the state. Enough is enough," she said when presenting aid to flood victims in Lahar Yooi here.
Peka Penang and Perak contributed RM50,000 worth of basic necessities to the flood victims.
Shariffa, a Penangite, expressed sadness that uncontrolled developments in various parts of the state had caused the recent disaster.
"We can't stop the heavy rain and the storm, but if our leaders carry out development in a proper manner, the effects of the disaster will not be that great," she added.
She also noted that there was hardly any landslides on Penang Hill in the past.
"Now, landslides there are frequent and it saddens me. It is clear that the administration should implement programmes to protect and preserve the environment and not more developments," she added.
Prior to this, the Consumers' Association of Penang, Sahabat Alam Malaysia, Penang Forum and the Tanjung Bungah Residents' Association have made similar calls, but their concerns have been brushed aside by the state authorities.
DAP's Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu had also made similar pleas but to no avail.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng reiterated that the disaster had nothing to do with hillside developments, stressing it was a "natural disaster".