Coalition Calls For Transparent Probe Over Kg Kelaik River Pollution

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Several NGOs and a political party came together to back the Orang Asli community in Kampung Kelaik, Kelantan and urged the government to conduct a transparent investigation into the alleged poisoning from a nearby mining area.
They also called on the Health Ministry to carry out full health screenings on all villagers, particularly the Orang Asli living close to mining, quarry and deforestation activities.
"This step is very important to ensure their health is not disrupted through exposure to toxic materials contained in polluted water and air," said the coalition, Kumpulan Sokongan Orang Asli Kampung Kelaik in a statement today.
Among those in the coalition include Greenpeace Malaysia, Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Semenanjung Malaysia, Parti Sosialis Malaysia, Sahabat Alam Malaysia and Suaram.
A recent Malaysiakini exposé revealed high levels of chromium - a carcinogenic heavy metal - in the blood of a villager from Kampung Kelaik who volunteered for testing.
Multiple villagers were also found to have skin lesions, while a doctor who treated them told Malaysiakini that some had complained of breathing difficulties after exiting the river.
The Temiar community of about 200 villagers in Kampung Kelaik sounded the alarm over environmental destruction and health risks but to no avail.
Between 2022 and 2023, they tried to seek a court injunction to stop all activities that changed the landscape of their 8,000 hectares of ancestral land which was affected due to logging, mining, palm oil and durian plantations but failed.
Undeterred, they filed a lawsuit against 10 companies, the Kelantan state government, and three government agencies over encroachment into their native land. The community crowdfunded for legal costs and support.
Ineffective law
On that note, the group urged Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability to carry out a transparent investigation into environmental pollution, adding it must begin in Kampung Kelaik.
"The investigation into heavy metal poisoning in Kampung Kelaik must be done based on principles of good governance.
"This includes transparency in announcing study results and a clear explanation of how conclusions have been drawn," the group stressed.
The group also lamented that amendments to the Environmental Quality Act 1974 - which increase penalties for water pollution - have been ineffective due to a lack of strict enforcement and continuous monitoring.
Referring to the deaths of 15 Orang Asli villagers from Kampung Kuala Koh in Gua Musang back in 2019, the group said that Kampung Keliak villagers' fears are valid.
"They have long lost their trust in the government and political system because they are often deceived, oppressed and used without being given clear or accurate information," it said.
The group claimed that Kampung Keliak villagers had little trust in the government and that they had refused to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
Probe underway
On Dec 11, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad confirmed that an investigation into the alleged chromium poisoning at Kampung Kelaik had begun.
Subsequently, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad announced that a stop-work order has been issued to the two iron ore mining operators suspected of causing pollution in Sungai Kelaik.
He said the Department of Environment (DOE) found that Aqua Orion Sdn Bhd’s mine was operating without an approved environmental impact assessment (EIA) report while Redstar Capital Sdn Bhd’s mine was found to be inoperational. - Mkini

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