LAST year, flash floods inundated several villages in Baling, killing three members of a family, including a pregnant woman. Their home was destroyed by fallen tree branches and swept away by the currents.

No one has taken responsibility for the disaster. But one thing is for sure, the culprit is neither God nor nature.

The area had not been identified as high-risk because no such floods had occurred there for decades. A flash flood caused by rainfall is an avoidable disaster.

Five years ago, civil organisations had warned against logging and development in an environmentally sensitive area with slopes that were vulnerable to soil erosion. But the government ignored the warnings.

Now that the residents of Baling are protesting against quarrying projects on Gunung Baling and Gunung Pulai, are those in power going to turn a deaf ear to their demands until another tragedy occurs, when they will again blame God?

In an interview with the writer on July 14, Kedah activist Mohd Sobri Ramlee said the residents had noticed unusual water surges during heavy rains after after quarrying commenced in the area. The floods had destroyed seven bridges in nearby villages.

The quarrying has been halted by the project approval has not been revoked. 

The Baling residents’ claim that quarrying has brought increased flood risk is not unfounded. Quarrying entails deforestation that leaves the ground bare.

As recently as 2021, Yan in Kedah was hit by unprecedented flooding, with torrents of muddy floodwaters from Gunung Jerai indicating tree-clearing activities.

The Consumers’ Association of Penang and Sahabat Alam Malaysia, together with local residents had objected to a quarry project in the Gunung Jerai Forest Reserve many years ago, but the state government was bent on having its way.

Fractures caused by quarry blasting could lead to landslides and mudslides. The excavation process also destroys the solid soil layer and exposes inherent cracks or fragile strata, resulting in loosening of the structures.

Without vegetation cover, even normal rainfall could trigger disastrous cascading effects such as severe debris floods.

The proposed quarry projects on Gunung Baling and Gunung Pulai would not only damage the environment and pose safety issues, but also create pollution that endangers the health of people living nearby, simply because the sites are too near residential areas.

So why do quarrying companies favour these sites? First, they are a source of good quality limestone.

Second, it’s adjacent to the city centre with immediate access to the main roads, which translates into lower transport costs.

Obviously, approving these quarrying projects also means facilitating the companies to make huge profits at the expense of public health and safety.

Caretaker Kedah MB Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said the state government would have to pay large sums of money in compensation if the quarrying permits were revoked.

However, the people do not know the details of the contracts. Many questions beg clarification: How much is the compensation? Are there alternative quarrying sites that are less disruptive? Will the products be sold abroad as a cheap raw material for cement and who’s the buyer?

Does the state government intend to let Yiked Holdings (under the Kedah Islamic Foundation) ravage Gunung Pulai for the next 78 years, removing more than 40 million metric tonnes of limestone and putting at risk a valuable archaeological site and critically endangered plants by ?

After last year’s tragedy in Baling, the priority was to reforest the bare hills to prevent a repeat of debris floods.

However, Sanusi said the state government had no intention of planting trees in the damaged parts of Gunung Inas. “Trees grow on their own – the forests of Kedah were planted by Allah,” he said.

The MB and the government’s irresponsible policies and utter lack of transparency and accountability are a recipe for future disasters – all man-made. – July 24, 2023.

* Veronica Lim Yi Hui is the Agora Society chairman. She holds a degree in biochemistry and is a PhD candidate in Philosophy. She has great interest in human creative endeavours like films and music. At the same time, she is concerned over the destructive impact of humans on the planet.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.