GEORGE TOWN: The worsening pollution crisis in Sungai Juru following reports of widespread cockle and marine life deaths that are affecting fishermen and cockle farmers in Kuala Juru needs an immediate intervention, says Datuk Tan Teik Cheng.
The Penang MCA chairman said the situation was threatening the livelihoods of coastal communities and could have wider economic and public health implications if left unresolved.
He said fishermen and cockle farmers were reportedly suffering income losses more than 50% following the deaths of cockles and fish in the river.
“The cockle sector is not merely a local seafood trade. It is an important contributor to Malaysia’s fisheries and 80 years of aquaculture industry, supporting coastal communities, seafood supply chains, restaurants, wet markets, exporters and food operators nationwide.
“Any collapse of this industry will have serious economic and social consequences, especially for families who have depended on it for generations,” he said in a statement on Thursday (May 28).
The MCA vice-president urged the state housing and environment committee chairman Datuk Seri Sundarajoo Somu and relevant authorities to conduct a transparent and comprehensive investigation into the cause of the pollution and deteriorating river conditions.
Among the questions raised by MCA were the exact cause of the low oxygen levels in Sungai Juru, the identities of factories or industrial operators responsible for discharging pollutants into the river, and whether stop-work orders would be issued against offending factories.
The party called on the Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) to disclose immediate river clean-up and rehabilitation measures to address the crisis.
Tan said MCA was concerned about public health despite assurances by the Penang Fisheries Department that seafood from the area remained safe for consumption.
“Consumers have the right to know whether seafood sold in markets, restaurants and kopitiam is genuinely safe for their families,” he said.
He urged the department to disclose details of laboratory tests conducted, including whether checks were carried out for heavy metals, ammonia, E. coli, faecal coliform bacteria, toxins and industrial contaminants.
He questioned how frequently samples were collected and from which locations.
He warned that a prolonged shortage of cockles and siham could disrupt supply chains and increase costs for hawkers and consumers, particularly affecting Penang’s famous char kway teow, where "siham" (cockles) are a key ingredient.
“Environmental negligence cannot continue unchecked. The livelihoods of fishermen, public health, food security and Penang’s culinary heritage are all at stake,” he said.
