High time to say ‘tidak boleh’

Clean and green space: Kedah state executive councillor Datuk Dr Leong Yong Kong (batik and vest) launching the gazetting of public parks as no-smoking zones at the Jubli Perak Park in Alor Setar. With him are Kedah Health Department director Datuk Dr Norhizan Ismail and Dr Leong’s wife Datin Lim Yang Kwee.

I READ with great interest but no surprise at all the report on the flooding in Kuala Gandah (pic), “Flooding forces closure of elephant sanctuary” (The Star, May 10).

For the past two years, the people there, particularly the local Chewong tribe and staff at the sanctuary, had been noticing the change of colour in the river after heavy rain. There were whispers about illegal gold mining activities going on upstream in the areas bordering the Krau Wildlife Game Reserve, one of the richest biodiversity valleys of rainforest in peninsular Malaysia.

There were also whispers about a certain person’s hidden but well-known hands working to clear large tracts of jungles all over Malaysia.

There were whispers too about reports being lodged with the forestry department and even the Pahang MACC. But the water in Sungai Teris continued to become muddier and the level higher each time it rained.

When will this stop? When will the powers that be prove that they walk the talk and not “sell” tracts of jungle to people who seem to operate with the blessings of the local authorities and politicians?

The latest news is that a large tract of jungle around Mancis and Cemomoi were recently cleared relentlessly, forcing herds of wild elephants to enter the nearby villages.

Do we need Putrajaya to step in to resolve this senseless rape of our beautiful jungles? Hasn’t the severe flooding of 2014 taught us a hard lesson?

Rather than “Malaysia Boleh”, “Tak boleh” should be the order of the day to stop corrupt, powerful and influential people from destroying the rakyat’s lives as well as our wildlife.

MACC, please make the move and do not fear the powerful and influential. You have been given the amanah to do your job by the people and your creator.

CONCERNED JUNGLEMAN

Kuala Lumpur