Sungai Sayong In Johor Polluted With Thick Mud, Fishermen Seek Help

KOTA TINGGI, Oct 31 (Bernama) -- Residents and fishermen in Kampung Orang Asli Sayong Pinang near here expressed their sadness and disappointment when hundreds of fish were found dead due to muddy river pollution, believed to have been caused by a leak in the reservoir owned by a sand mining company.

Fisherman, Arif Adong, 50, said he became aware of the incident at about 7 am when he went down to the river to check the fish cages he was working on.

According to him, the incident has affected the income of local fishermen who depend entirely on the river's produce to support their families.

"When I looked, the river was full of mud. The fish in the cages were all dead. I went down to see the longlines on the banks, the same thing happened, the fish were dead and many were stranded because of the muddy water.

"It really affects us because we earn our daily livelihood in the river. Now that it has happened like this, it is really sad. If we are affected for a long time, we will have to find part-time jobs to support our families,” he told Bernama today.

In line with that, Mazuri Maz, 39, hopes that the fate of the affected fishermen will be protected and that the party responsible will provide appropriate compensation to those who have lost their livelihood.

He said that a police report has been filed at Bandar Tenggara police station and his party hopes that the relevant departments including the Department of Environment (DOE) and the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) will take immediate action against the responsible party.

“We hope that the state government will take this matter seriously. Pollution cases have indeed happened before, but this time is the worst.

“Previously, when we made a report, we fishermen never even received a full report or compensation. This time, if possible, let strict action be taken not with temporary compensation but with a direct summons so that it becomes a lesson,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Tenggara Parliament Orang Asli Community Land Fishermen's Fisheries Network and chairman of JPKKOA Kampung Orang Asli Sayong Pinang, Jasni Amat, also regretted the incident which disrupted the livelihood of fishermen who depend entirely on the river.

Following that, he hoped that the state government, DOE and relevant agencies would immediately go to the ground to assess the impact of the pollution and ensure that the parties involved were responsible for covering the losses of the affected fishermen.

"I have filed a police report in Bandar Tenggara for the fishermen who lost their livelihood. We are asking the company to pay damages and provide compensation to the fishermen involved.

"This morning I sent several videos and pictures to the State Department of Environment and to the Mukim head for district action. The District Officer has been informed and the DID has also been notified. Now we are just waiting for the company to close the broken place.

"The mining company is trying to close the area involved so that dirty water does not enter the river again, but they have not come to meet the villagers," he said.

The pollution incident has been reported by Bernama and the report has been extended to the state Health and Environment Committee chairman, Ling Tian Soon. 

--BERNAMA