MIC concerned about hillside projects

BUTTERWORTH: MIC has revealed that Penang had approved eight times more hillside development projects compared to the previous state government.

Its president, Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam, said that this information was revealed to him during a ministerial meeting in Putrajaya, and it is a cause for concern as it depicts a degradation of the environment.

He said it was important to note the after-effects of such development, as what happened in Penang, like the recent floods and landslides, must be taken seriously to avoid recurrences.

He said this after handing out aid to flood victims at the Sri Muniswarar Temple in Prai.

Later, Subramaniam said that his ministry has an effective standard operating procedure (SOP) in public hospitals to cope in the event of a major disaster occurring.

He said the medical services were able to provide assistance during the floods that hit the state on Nov 4.

“We have our own SOP in handling issues during emergencies. We also have the means to check against the spread of contagious diseases.”

He was responding to Penang Health Committee chairman Dr Afif Bahardin’s remark that public hospitals in Penang need to undergo more emergency simulation exercises. – by Imran Hilmy