Baling Floods Lawyer Group Warns Kedah Govt Of Looming Legal Challenges

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Lawyers for Environmental Rights (LER) said there would be looming legal challenges against the Kedah state government following the Baling floods, which have recorded three deaths so far.
The group believes that the floods that occurred three days ago were caused by the purported large-scale destruction of rainforests which have since been replaced with durian farming activities.
LER spokespersons Rajesh Nagarajan and Sachpreetraj Singh Sohanpal said the destruction of the rainforests has led to drastically reduced water retention levels and soil erosion, which subsequently caused the Baling floods.
“The Kedah state government is guilty of green-lighting such irresponsible developments by avaricious, money-hungry corporations.
“The local government clearly has no qualms allowing the felling of our invaluable and irreplaceable forests to clear the way for the same while disregarding memorandums, objections and protests by local residents and MPs.
“We put the Kedah state government on notice that there will be legal challenges looming and that the state government should restore the Gunung Inas forests on an urgent basis,” they said in a statement today.
Three fatalities
Flash floods struck several villages in Baling, Kedah on July 4, killing three and displacing more than 600 residents.
An environmental activist has claimed that the deforestation in water catchment areas likely led to devastating mud floods.
Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor visiting flood victimsThere has also been speculation that forest clearing several years ago for a durian plantation in the neighbouring Gunung Inas Forest Reserve caused the flash floods.
However, Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said there is no scientific evidence linking the plantation to the floods and that measures had been taken before this to address the issue.
Meanwhile, LER said the Forestry Department should also be held accountable for its “inaction and reluctance” to address the issues stemming from the irresponsible developments.
“The department stood on the sidelines as corporations exploited the forest area indiscriminately, even as local communities suffered dire consequences from such activities, be it contaminated water supply or flash floods.
“LER urges the authorities to take urgent measures and the people to advocate and push for change to fight to curb rampant deforestation and restore the delicate balance of nature which we are desecrating,” they said. - Mkini

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