LANGKAWI – Although there has been outcry among some Malaysians over the death of two children after they ate scraps from a dumpster, an activist here said it is a tragedy waiting to happen as the area has been long neglected by the authorities.
Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) branch chairman here Eric R. Sinnaya said Kg Baru Sg Tepa, where the incident took place in the Bukit Malut Myanmarese settlement here, has been faced with hygiene and cleanliness issues.
“I think it is a long time coming. Non-governmental organisations here have long called for a relocation of the village or at least an upgrade to its living conditions to reflect acceptable hygiene standards instead of an unsupervised colony.”
Sinnaya, who has surveyed the area due to his role in MNS, said the Bukit Malut settlement lacks a sewerage system and most of the waste ends up in the sea beneath their stilt attap homes.
“The e-coli ratio at the settlement is the highest on this part of the island.”
He added that this tragic episode serves as a reminder that the authorities need to look into the living conditions of the settlers and find a solution to either resettle them or upgrade their living conditions.
Last year, the Kedah government announced plans to relocate the Bukit Malut settlement to an inland housing estate in Kuah – the commercial and administrative township of the island.
This is to make way for a mixed development project in the area, which comprises a RM1.3 billion international racing circuit, resorts, condominiums, and private villas.
State exco for tourism Mohd Firdaus Ahmad said the plans will be helmed by the National Security Council and Langkawi Tourism City Municipal Council.
He added that in their last check, authorities counted about 1,400 homes there housing about 2,000 families.
“We have not decided on where the residents will be relocated to, but we are hoping to get them to assimilate here instead.
“The majority of them are fishermen, some have trawlers, but many are working in tourism. With the relocation, social problems will not only be solved but we can also get them to contribute to society.”
The Bukit Malut residents are said to be descendants of seafaring Kedahan Malays who were brought to assist the Japanese in World War II Burma to build the death railway link.
There are also accounts that some of them are Rohingya refugees, who fled Myanmar to escape religious persecution.
Meanwhile, the father of two dead Myanmarese brothers has been remanded for 14 days for investigations.
Langkawi district police chief Shariman Ashari said they detained the 36-year-old man at 12.05am today after the man had settled matters related to the death of his two sons, Nizambudin Jamaludin, four years old, and Ngei, two years old, at the hospital.
According to Shariman, the two boys died at about 6.15pm yesterday and the jobless father tested positive for drugs.
“The man, a boat equipment repairman who also does odd jobs in the village, has been remanded for 14 days. The bodies of the two brothers were sent to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Star today for a post-mortem,” he said in a statement today.
Shariman said the case was being investigated under Section 31 (1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Section 15(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. – The Vibes, February 14, 2022
