PANTAI Esen, a popular beach in Penang Island known for its breathtaking sunsets, has been polluted by thick black mud and a foul stench, reported Berita Harian.
Its white sands are coated with black sludge and its waters have turned murky, while the stench that started two months ago has worsened. It can be smelled 100m away from the beach.
The pollution is believed to be caused by the construction of Penang Silicon Island, which is near the beach.
Local Jaffar Osman, 66, said residents can no longer catch fish and mussels in the area because they are often found dead and becoming increasingly scarce.
“Since we were little, we have breathed fresh air, but now the smell is terrible and it’s getting worse. We hope that this pollution will be addressed as soon as possible, before other issues start to crop up,” he added.
Jaffar said the developers have only consulted the fishermen but neglected residents who have to live with the stench daily.
Water sports business owner, Jaffar Ishak, 55, said the beach used to be a hidden gem and its views were often captured for postcards. He said the beach was once a hotspot for families to visit and for water sports such as kayaking or boating.
“Some people have gone home in less than half an hour because they couldn’t stand the strong smell,” he added.
Jaffar said his business has also dropped by 70% and the mud has made it difficult to manoeuvre the kayaks and boat.
> Singer Ernie Zakri hit another career milestone by being featured for the second time on one of the most iconic billboards at New York’s Times Square.
This recognition comes as part of Spotify’s Equal programme, which spotlights talented female artistes from around the globe, reported Sinar Harian.
“Surprise! I’m the Equal ambassador of this month.
“Alhamdulillah, this is the second time. I am still dreaming,” she said, expressing her delight on Instagram.
Her record label, Universal Music, celebrated the achievement and said Ernie is the most listened-to female artiste on Spotify Malaysia with 3.1 million monthly listeners.
“You are an inspiration to us all,” it said in an Instagram post.
● The above article is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this ' >'sign, it denotes a separate news item.
