LETTER | Yet another incident of pollutants dumped into our waterways hits the news rounds.
This time around, it is a pink-coloured discharge. It was reportedly traced to the final discharge point of a nearby factory in the Beranang industrial area, which leads into the Beranang and Semenyih rivers.
What is most alarming is the trend of industrialists dumping liquids in drains and rivers, trash in hidden locations, and smoke belched into the atmosphere in the stillness of the night or during heavy downpours is not stopping.
In this case, as in many other instances, the errant factory “has been instructed to halt and close its discharge operations immediately”.
Obviously, there are two unacceptable terms.
One, the law is not biting hard enough to drive fear and a deep sense of patriotic responsibility into these factory owners.
Two, placing mere “Stop Orders” and getting the recalcitrant businesses to clean up is becoming a farce, for want of a better description.
Either the government takes total responsibility for the rape of our environment or face civil action with support from a pro bono legal fraternity.
Otherwise, let us all just call it a day and carry on with such destructive, irresponsible dispositions.
We cannot go on and on and bury these treasonous actions with measures that have miserably failed to purge the nation of such violations that have long-term, far-reaching consequences.
Will MPs demonstrate the will to protect our nation and its people including future generations, guaranteeing us a progressively cleaner, safer country?
When it comes to seeming religious “sensitivities” or racially tweaked demands, all hell breaks loose among political circles and party members.
But when it comes to raping our nation’s environment and people’s health, there is pin-drop silence other than the singular news report.
Is this how we are to build a sustainable and progressive nation?
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
