ALOR STAR – Logging activities alone did not contribute to the massive floods that inundated up to nine states recently, said Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.
Instead, the outspoken politician blamed unusual rainfall for triggering the floods that affected three districts in Kedah in August.
Responding to claims that logging needs to be stopped in view of the floods, which overwhelmed Perak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor, Pahang, Terengganu, and Kelantan, Sanusi questioned why Selangor and Kuala Lumpur suffered from flooding while both do not conduct logging activities.
Sanusi had earlier attended the signing of agreements between Kedah-linked companies with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) at Wisma Darul Aman here.
He said local residents have been misled by claims that logging activities are behind the floods that hit Yan and Merbok in August.
He stressed that unusual rainfall was the cause of the devastating water-column phenomenon at Gunung Jerai.
“The impact washed away many low-lying homes.
“The rainfall on that fateful day was equal to one-and-a-half month’s worth of rainfall on an average in the same districts,” he added.
Sanusi conceded perhaps logging may have been a minor cause of the floods because there are not enough trees to impede the flow of water during heavy rain.
But if there is an unusual accumulation of rain, would the trees have been able to absorb all the water?”
He stressed that logging activities were done within the law and international protocols, such as the one signed in Kyoto, Japan.
He blamed some environmentalists for being alarmists by pinning the blame solely on logging activities.
“It is about the perception of things. I noticed all the trees that were swept away by the floods, and the debris that caused property damage, were not logs."
Earlier, associates of Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) had claimed that the severity of the floods last year was compounded by logging activities.
Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy also posted on social media that there are indications to illustrate that logging is the cause of the disaster. – The Vibes, January 6, 2022
