UNPLEASANT CHANGES IN BALIK PULAU
The area has been affected by pollution and unplanned development
AVETERAN DAP lawmaker expressed his disappointment over the changing coastline, pollution and the fast diminishing greenery in Balik Pulau.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Kepong member of parliament Dr Tan Seng Giaw lamented what he had witnessed during a drive in Balik Pulau.
“Going around Penang island today, we find the coast is changing, and Balik Pulau is less green. The population of 850,000 require houses and employment. The priority is to preserve the forest and the green.”
When contacted by the New Straits Times about his observation, Dr Tan said he took the drive to observe changes that had taken place, especially in rarely-visited areas.
“Balik Pulau used to be covered with nutmegs, cloves and durian plantations, not to mention forest reserves. It saddens me to see how most of those have disappeared.
“The changes in Balik Pulau are not for the better. Instead, there is pollution, and unplanned development has caused concerns in the area,” Dr Tan said.
Although he admitted to the complexity of the problem, which was not confined to Penang alone, he said that such issues seem to be more prevalent in the northern state.
Dr Tan said plastic bags or items were commonly discarded in the sea, affecting the livelihoods of fishermen and the quality of their catch.
“People must think of how to dispose of plastic properly. They discard tonnes of such items into the sea every day, and it affects the fishermen and their catch, which we eat every day,” he said.
Dr Tan also said he noticed that the price tags of houses were too expensive for the people of Balik Pulau.
“How can they afford it? What would happen to unsold properties in the area?”
He said it was high time the state’s “think tanks” came up with solutions on how to develop an area without jeopardising its environment.
“The authorities must study how to build and take care of the environment simultaneously.
“We must use environmentfriendly construction, which does not need to be too expensive.”