KUALA LUMPUR: The Baling floods, which claimed three lives and destroyed several houses in villages around Gunung Inas, was caused by logs and debris left abandoned on a vast site that had been cleared for a durian plantation, alleged a non-governmental organisation.
Yayasan Foodbank Malaysia chief executive officer Johan Halid claimed 12,000ha of land spanning several compartments of the forest had been left bare for more than a year, while logs and debris remained uncleared from the site.
"That's why some of the logs were found with their roots intact, they were stumps that were not removed from the area. The expanse of land remains bare except for shrubs and small rootless trees," he said based on his hikes and checks with villagers.
Johan, who is a Baling native claimed Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor's assertion that there was no active logging in the area was correct, however, the facts behind the floods had been left out.
Earlier, Sanusi said records showed that logging at Compartment 8 of the forest leading to Sungai Kupang had been completed in 2019. He further said a forest farming project was approved within the compartment and about 5,000 trees were replanted covering 52.96ha within the site.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan also supported this by saying that investigations by the Forestry Department confirmed the statement as trees washed away were found with their roots intact.
Johan, however, claimed the large tract of land had been largely abandoned since a stop work order was issued on the Musang King plantation in July 2020.
"The issue here is not climate change or logging, it's simply the Forestry Department and other agencies not checking to see if the plantation had cleared the land of the logs and debris."
"They allowed a 12,000ha land to be left bare. This, not surprisingly, ate into the water catchment on the hill and caused the erosion. This is not 1,000 acres or hectares, it's 30,000 acres. There is no ecological way for the land to cope with such a level of deforestation and floods were natural with the progression of time."
Johan said one retention pond some 300m above sea level broke during the downpour.
He said it could not retain the debris during the recent downpour that had triggered headwaters which ravaged 12 villages below.
"The standard operating procedure of land clearing is there should be no logging or tree removal 200m from the riverbank. If you follow the procedure, these things would not happen."
Malaysian Bar Council Environment and Climate Change Committee deputy chair Kiu Jia Yaw said the state government had to be taken to task for not giving the people answers on why the disaster took place.
He said the public sector and the state government should explain the incident clearly, particularly the preliminary cause of the floods as it was the custodian of all data such as titles, permissions and enforcement activities in Kedah.
Kiu said it was peculiar that the MB went on the defence and made a very specific statement by saying "there is no evidence of active logging in the area".
"People died and were swept away from their homes and bedrooms and that's the explanation given," he said, adding that this was the grim reality faced by Malaysians: an unwillingness on the part of those in public service to take responsibility.
He said the government needed to give the public more explanation promptly, and agencies should have all the relevant data up on their sites within a day or two of such incidents.
He added that public agencies, such as the Drainage and Irrigation Department, Forestry Department and Environment Department, should update maps, permissions and enforcement reports routinely on all development.
"Climate change has also become the biggest scapegoat for the authorities when the cause is likelier aggressive or unchecked development involving deforestation. It's easier to diminish responsibility by saying this.
"However, as the members of the public, we need data and have the right to it, so that we can understand how the economic development, as well aspects such as water and environmental security is managed. Without this, we cannot have any discussion on policies or a way forward."
