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BENTONG – Environmental issues appear to have taken a backseat to day-to-day concerns regarded as “more pressing”, even though continued neglect of the former threatens to contribute to an economic slump among locals.
The highland district is a hub for agriculture and a popular draw for domestic tourists due to its fruit farms and natural beauty. However, its surrounding verdant forests are targeted by loggers and lush hills are eyed by developers.
Approached by The Vibes, locals in Bentong town were quick to list their worries and complaints on the current economic situation, with comments varying from requests for additional financial aid to calls for more targeted policies.
Environmental concern, however, was noticeably lacking among respondents, with one resident who wished to be known as Leong best summarising the evidently dismissive stance by saying:
“I am more worried about whether I will be able to put food on the table for my family. I don’t have
time to care about trees getting cut down.”
Environmental activist Puan Sri Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil attributes this attitude to a purposeful lack of education on how climate change and the destruction of nature at the hands of men affect the people’s rice bowls.
“Leaders are more interested in attacking (their opponents) when they should be focusing on educating the public on how most natural disasters are caused by human activity,” she said when met by The Vibes at her restaurant, Tanah Aina Fareena, here.
She called on the local candidates for the 15th general election (GE15) to do their part in spreading awareness on environmental issues in Bentong.
Shariffa pointed out that taking damage-control measures after an avoidable natural disaster comes at the cost of improving the people’s living conditions.
“The government is forced to spend funds on reparation works after natural calamities are brought about by mankind, when such funds could have gone to bettering public facilities instead,” she said.
“Any politician aiming to represent the people here should initiate proper educational efforts so that the people are empowered to speak up against misconducts against nature.”
Shariffa’s eco-restaurant, set up around two years ago, is touted to prioritise ecological preservation in its structure, resulting in an establishment built around trees and a stream without any damaging effect.
Some of the patrons at the restaurant, which serves a variety of local and Western cuisines, were seen enjoying a dip in the clear stream after their meals.
“It is very important to me that my restaurant does no harm to the environment, so we’ve built the place around the existing nature,” she said.
Forest reserve encroachment controversy
During the devastating floods in December last year, several areas in Bentong suffered massive financial losses after their homes were badly damaged by high water levels and subsequent landslides.
Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail subsequently claimed that the floods were not linked to logging activities. He reportedly described such assertions as “inaccurate and lacking evidence”.
Prior to the floods, concerns about environmental degradation were raised in view of bald patches appearing on Bentong hilltops next to the Karak Highway.
Shariffa had then taken the Forestry Department to task for allowing heavy machinery and lorries to enter the nearby Bukit Tinggi and Lentang forest reserves, which witnessed landslides in 2015.
On June 18 this year, the Pahang government sued Shariffa for RM1 million in special damages, among others, over allegedly defamatory statements the environmentalist had made on logging activities in the state.
As such, Shariffa said that another possible cause behind the apparent apathy towards green issues is fears of authorities cracking down on those who voice their concerns about potentially harmful activities.
“The people in the rural areas here are the most affected by any detrimental changes towards the environment and they also often witness firsthand any damaging activities in their area.
“They (villagers) tell me that it’s easy for me to speak up because I have the money to go to court if action is taken against me,” she said.
“They shouldn’t have to live in fear (of voicing criticism).”
‘All we can do is watch’
Her assertion is backed by local trader Hazri Nayan, 46, who appeared resigned when queried about environmental woes in Bentong.
“What can the public do? All we can do is watch as the same problems, which have been going on for decades now, continue to plague us.
“The most we can do is help each other whenever disasters happen,” he told The Vibes.
Most of the candidates for the Bentong parliamentary seat in the 15th general election are promising development in the district as one of their pledges towards the people.
One of them, incumbent MP Wong Tack, is known to be an environmental activist. He had famously walked from Kuantan to Parliament in Kuala Lumpur in 2012 and again in 2016 to protest the Lynas rare earth and the bauxite mining issues respectively.
For the current election, Wong is defending his seat as an independent candidate after DAP dropped him for Young Syefura Othman (Pakatan Harapan), who is vying to be Bentong’s first female MP.
Other contenders include former MCA president Tan Sri Liow Tiong Lai (Barisan Nasional), who had previously served as MP here for four terms before being bested by Wong in the election of 2018, as well as Bersatu’s Datuk Roslan Hassan (Perikatan Nasional) and independent candidate Khalil Abdul Hamid.
Malaysia will vote in a new government on November 19, with early polling set for November 15. – The Vibes, November 10, 2022
