FEB 11 — It’s a shame that Batu Ferringhi’s image is now tarnished, thanks to the polluted water flowing from Sungai Batu Ferringhi into the sea. The water in the river is not only black in colour, but also stinks.
To everyone’s horror, human faeces has been shockingly established as the main cause of the pollution, triggered by a loose valve at a nearby sewerage treatment plant.
Surely this is bad publicity for the state government’s much sung slogan of a “Cleaner and Greener Penang”. Disastrous, if I may call it.
Never has Batu Ferringhi, known for its spell-binding scenery, long stretches of palm-fringed beach, nice resorts and hotels — everything one would expect from a tropical paradise — be polluted overnight before!
There is no denying that it is a favourite holiday spot for local and foreign visitors alike. Apart from its beautiful beach, visitors come here for its famous row of night market stalls, which boast more than 600 open-air bazaars selling must-buy souvenirs, handmade jewellery, cheap clothes and accessories, electronic items and paintings.
The 44 hotels and resorts located along Tanjung Bunga right up to Batu Ferringhi are fully-booked most of the time. There is simply no stopping visitors from flocking to Batu Ferringhi, especially during school holidays and festive periods.
This is also the reason why many international chain hoteliers spent millions building five- and six-star resorts and hotels there. The first five-star resort in the country, Rasa Sayang, was there as early as 1973.
But now, with filthy water flowing into the very sea tourists love to soak in, Batu Ferringhi may just lose it all. Already, Penang hoteliers are crying foul as the pollution has adversely affected the tourism sector.
They fear tourists may skip Penang, taking away the millions of ringgit they would earn. On top of that, there is also a call to have the beach closed temporarily to protect the public.
Still, the topic of pollution is currently as hot as the Penang heat. Some say it is even hotter than the impending Kajang by-election as the state government, politicians, NGOs, bloggers, media, hoteliers and everyone involved in the tourism industry will readily attest.
Right now, everyone is simply pointing fingers at each other but the crux of the matter is the heavy pollution. It has been a week now since this embarrassing discovery came to light.
Regrettably, the state government is still unable to pinpoint the real culprit responsible for the pollution. Certainly, they need not be told that if no serious action is taken, the situation will worsen and affect Penang’s image as a tourist destination.
Right now, the million ringgit question is whether somebody out there is sleeping on his/her job? If so, the culprit behind the Batu Ferringhi pollution better be forewarned for in two weeks’ time, he/she is likely be hauled to court as promised by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel during his visit to the beach on Sunday afternoon.
Palanivel’s ministry is waiting for a complete report from the Department of Environment (DOE) to facilitate in collecting evidence to identify the culprit.
Penang Environment Working Group chairman Datuk Dr Ong Hean Tee, while commending the DOE’s quick response, was right in lamenting that the matter was being taken too lightly by the authorities.
“This is a serious problem. The authorities must act swiftly and work together to find a solution and not play the blame game,” says Dr Ong, a former state executive councillor in the early 80s.
Meanwhile, nobody will take a dip in the sea off Batu Ferringhi, perhaps until the sea water is crystal clear again.
Visit Malaysia Year 2014 will mean nothing until that happens.
* Lee Keng Fatt is The Malay Mail’s Penang bureau chief. He can be contacted at [email protected]
** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online.
