IS THE KEDAH MENTERI BESAR NAIVE?

It is shocking to read the statement by the Kedah Menteri Besar that he is still going ahead to cut the trees in the water catchment areas in the state inspite of many protests including by Sahabat Alam. He is of opinion that he can trust the logging companies and their henchmen who are lobbying the Kedah MB to approve the timber logging concession to their "real masters". .
They say the Devil comes in many forms. Now we see the true characters of the people we voted in and trust to administer the state. The clothes they wear are just to cover up their real selves. Maybe the Kedah MB is an honest and pious man but why is he making these decision? Is the situation of the state fund that bad? How come the previous state government can coup with the existing fund and not resort to logging the state jungle reserves? Perhap the present state government do not know work more effectively and collect all the debts owed to the state, e.g. land taxes, utiltity bills, etc. Perhaps they want to keep the people happy while they help themselves to the state's riches. Maybe not. But still the question is not convincingly answered. Why the need to risk water crisis in future by logging the water catchment areas and why can't the present state fund be increased through more effective management.
Picking grey hairs is much, much easier than logging trees. The grey hairs are on your head and you can supervise the work everyday. Now, as we all know, trees to be log are in deep virgin jungle of the state. The jungle is not only rich in timber but many other precious trees like gaharu, cendana and medicinal trees and plants. The jungle is also home to many wild animals and fishes. These animals and fishes are already being hunted to extinction and they are mostly protected by law.
Kedah MB will have to trust some people to supervise these loggings by the companies appointed. Can he trust them not to fall prey to greed? We are not talking about a few thousands ringgit but hundreds millions of ringgit. The temptation is too much for those people involved, small or big. Again we can look at Kelantan fiasco as the very example. All sorts of reasons and excuses were given to cover up the weaknesses. It is not about learning from Kelantan's mistakes but it is about human weaknesses. The "monetary gain" is too much for any person to resist, no matter how pious they think they are. If the logging companies and their henchmen cannot get to these people directly, they will get them through their relatives, who might not be too concern about helping themselves to the "bait" offered. After all it comes only once in a lifetime and if you don't take it others will. So goes the reasonings of these unrighteous and unprincipled people. After all, who is there all the time to supervise the logging works except the people from the logging companies or those in their pay.
The rakyat can curse all these people to their graves but do these people care? And who will be left to suffer the water crisis? - Our future generation, who will also curse the people who make the decision to allow logging in the water catchment reserves. Because that is all they can do after all the damages have been done and cannot be undone.

KEDAH STATE GOVERNMENT: KEEP OUR TREES!

Keep our trees and prevent our future generation from dying. Why do we need to cut down our jungle for development? Isn't that destroying and not development? Development is not sacrificing our precious trees for short gain development. no amount of re-planting can bring back the jungle that God created for us.

"Harvest" is the term use by these greedy people intend on cutting down the trees to fool the rakyat. Kedah has lost many precious natural resources due to these unscrupulous people who just want to make quick money for themselves at the expense of the people and the enviroment. Look at Gunung Jerai, it now bald of all usable trees and scars of the mountain sides due to soil erosions can be easily seen miles away. The water around Pulau Payar is no more as clear as it is years ago. Even Langkawi Islands are being cut to make way for "development" projects. The seas and rivers in Kedah are polluted by human and industrial waste. Plastics are abound around the seas off Langkawi. What is the Kedah state government doing about it? Nothing yet.

The present Kedah state government must be more responsible and not just go for short term gains on the advice of so-called experts. Look at Kelantan fiasco. The very same reasoning was use to log the water-giving jungle and did the rakyat gain anything? None. The rakyat now have to face water shortages/crisis every day of their lives. Nothing can bring back their lost jungle.

Kedah must never be allowed to follow the same fate. If there is water crisis due to the cutting down the trees in the water catchment areas, the first to suffer will be the padi farmers. Is this what the Kedah state government wants?