[UPDATED] Energy and Natural Resources Ministry to lead probe into Baling floods

KUALA LUMPUR – The Energy and Natural Resources Ministry has been appointed to be the lead agency for the preliminary investigations into the Baling floods in Kedah, which claimed three lives earlier this month.

Speaking during his winding-up speech in the Dewan Rakyat today, its minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (Kota Baru-PAS) said he was just informed of the directive that was issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

“The ministry has been selected to be the lead agency for probes into the Baling floods,” he said, adding that Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali will be chairing it.

He said that the rationale behind the appointment is due to the fact that there are various relevant departments under the ministry, including the Forestry Department, the Mineral and Geoscience Department as well as the Wildlife and National Parks Department. 

The minister noted that other pertinent ministries will also be involved in the effort and that he hopes to be able to release the probe’s findings to the public as soon as possible.

“It is just a preliminary investigation for now. If our findings reveal that there is a need to present a white paper in Parliament, there should be no problems for the government to do so,” he said.

The mud floods in Baling on July 4 caused hundreds of residents to be evacuated to several relief centres with more than 80 houses affected.

The bodies of three missing family members, including a four-month pregnant woman, were found the next day after strong currents swept their house away when floods hit Kg Iboi, Kupang. 

Subsequently, Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor had asserted that the accumulated rainwater in the Gunung Inas channel was the main cause of the floods.

He had also called for blame to not be directed towards the Musang King durian plantation in the area, asserting that scientific evidence should be gathered first before pointing the finger.

Sanusi has since apologised to all residents affected by the flooding and water surge, clarifying, however, that the apology did not mean that he admitted that all the blame rests on the current state government.

Residents of Kg Iboi had earlier claimed that the durian project in Gunung Inas was the cause behind the floods, with some claiming that Lata Celak, which used to be a tourist attraction, had “died” following the commencement of the project.

Similarly, the Consumers’ Association of Penang said in a statement that logging and land-clearing to plant durian trees in Gunung Inas are contributing factors to the severe floods and mudflows in Baling.

The company that developed the durian farm is also believed to have been “given some leeway” or did not implement an environmental impact assessment report. – The Vibes, July 18, 2022