I told you so, says former DAP green activist over Penang landslide

(FMT) – Well-known green activist and former Penang assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu said the Paya Terubong landslide yesterday came as no surprise as the warning signs were aplenty but the authorities paid no mind to it.

The DAP’s Tanjung Bungah assemblyman for two terms, from 2008 to May 2018, said he had sounded the alarm many times during state assembly sittings, speaking out against hill development but his pleas had gone unheeded.

“I had forewarned about landslides, due to weaknesses of the hills of Paya Terubong and Tanjung Bungah in many assembly meetings.

“However, I regret that my warnings were seen as a nuisance and deemed too unpopular,” he told FMT in a phone call from Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India, last night.

Teh, who is known for his daily hill hiking routine, was declared persona non grata by his colleagues in the Penang government during the tail-end of his career.

As an assemblyman for DAP, he had openly criticised hillslope projects and supported opposition motions at the Penang assembly on environmental matters. He came under severe attack as his criticisms were seen as detrimental to the state leadership.

Teh was openly chided by his colleagues and tendered a public apology for going against the party’s stance in voting for Umno’s motion against land reclamation. He also resigned from his party post as Penang DAP state organising secretary.

However, despite his apology, he suffered repercussions by being frozen out of constituency allocations for state funds.

Teh quit DAP as a member before the recent general election. He then stood as a candidate for Parti Sosialis Malaysia in the Sungai Pinang state constituency but lost in a six-cornered fight.

‘Landslide was matter of time’

During his stint as the Tanjung Bungah assemblyman, he had vehemently objected to some 10 apartment projects mushrooming on sensitive hillsides, joining in a protest with residents against one project taking off.

Then, like a warning from mother nature, on Oct 21, 2017, a 10m hillslope came crashing down at an apartment site under construction in Tanjung Bungah, killing 11.

Teh then issued an apology to all Penangites.

Teh now considers himself an activist and continues to traverse along the dense, fragile hills of Penang Island, knowing pretty much every trail like the back of his hand.

He said based on his observations for the past six months, more portions of the hills in Bukit Kukus and Tanjung Bungah ran the risk of collapse.

“As for Friday’s landslide (in Bukit Kukus), it was just a matter of time, I thought.

“I worry there might be more landslides in Paya Terubong as the hillslopes have been seriously disturbed.

“Any layman passing by Jalan Paya Terubong and looking up at the cut hills on Bukit Kukus can easily judge how dangerous it is,” he said.

Teh said the Penang government should take a serious view of its planned highway projects, including drilling or blasting through the hills, and shelve all reclamation projects.

“The chief minister should not merely rely on inputs by developers (on hill projects) or trust them.

“I can guarantee the CM will regret trusting them. I bet you.”

Teh also said, ultimately, the state assemblyman and the exco responsible for public works and the environment should be held answerable for Friday’s landslide as they are “collectively responsible”.