[UPDATED] Gunung Jerai disaster ‘takdir Allah’: Takiyuddin

KUALA LUMPUR – The landslides and floods that wreaked havoc at Gunung Jerai in Kedah last month was not caused by humans but was an act of God, said Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (Kota Baru-PAS).

He said this in Dewan Rakyat in response to a question by Sabri Azit (Jerai-PAS) on what efforts are being taken by the government to restore the area following the fatal water column phenomenon.

“This is an act of God, takdir (fate) Allah,” he said.

Unimpressed by the answer, opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (Port Dickson-PH) told Takiyuddin not to blame God for disasters that are obviously man-made.

“Whenever there is a disaster, (the excuse is always) an act of God. How do you know it is the act of God when there are greedy individuals that cause damage from logging?” he said.

The minister responded by saying that in recent years, no licence has been issued by authorities giving approval for logging activities in the area.

He added that from 2014 to 2019, although 25,000ha of the forest in Kedah has been given approval for logging, none were done in the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve, in which Gunung Jerai is located.

“I went there myself, and saw the uprooted trees carried away by the water column had their roots still intact. This proves that there were no logging activities in Jerai.

“This is what I call an act of God,” he said, adding that the government has allocated RM75 million for forest restorations, including the one in Gunung Jerai.

Last month, hours-long heavy rain caused major floods in Gunung Jerai, which killed at least four individuals and caused damage to scores of houses in the area.

Experts have blamed the water column phenomenon on human development.

Earlier today, Takiyuddin said there was no violation of the government’s Annual Cut Ration (CTT) – an assessment used to measure how much protected forest areas can be logged annually. 

He added that in 2019, 43,299ha of forest reserves were approved for logging under the CTT, but only 10,949ha were cleared. 

In 2020, he said 22,931ha were cleared but 39,354ha approved.

“This shows the government is serious in ensuring that any decisions made are adhered to, and that we are serious about this.

He was responding to another question by Anwar on why illegal logging continues to happen despite efforts supported by the government, and urged those in power to have the political will and courage to act on the issue.

To this, Takiyuddin said: “I welcome the suggestion by the opposition leader for the government to have more political will, but this issue requires the cooperation of all quarters, including contractors, developers and private companies.” – The Vibes, September 20, 2021