GEORGE TOWN, April 30 — An environmental group wants local authorities and the state government to investigate massive hill clearing works in Batu Ferringhi here.
Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president Meenakshi Raman said the hill slope off Persiaran Sungai Emas 3 has been cleared and terraced.
“During SAM’s survey, we found the access route which leads to the cleared land but were unable to go any further to avoid trespassing as we were uncertain of the status of the land,” she said in a statement today.
She warned that the hill clearing could be a disaster waiting to happen. “If there is constant and intense rainfall, the chances for landslides and erosion to occur are high,” she said.
Meenakshi urged the authorities to visit the site and investigate the status of the land as well as whether the hill clearing was legal or otherwise.
She said the authorities must disclose if the works contravened the Land Conservation Act 1960.
Prompt action must be taken as a check on Google Earth showed that a number of hill slopes around the area and other parts of the island are being cleared, she explained.
“Our hills are fragile and past tragedies should serve as a lesson. We need to safeguard and protect the ecosystem of our hills,” Meenakshi added.
