YOURSAY | ‘Takiyuddin is both right and wrong about the floods.’

Takiyuddin: Gunung Jerai floods an act of God, no logging in the region

Gunung Jerai tragedy: Anwar urges Takiyuddin to act, not blame God

BobbyO: It’s so easy to blame God. As He remains silent and does not answer.

When He made this world, He made it perfect. It was humans, with their greed for monetary gains, who damaged the environment.

So, we should stop blaming God when things go wrong just as Energy and Natural Resources Minister Takiyuddin Hassan did over the Gunung Jerai floods that killed six, when asked to explain the matter in the Dewan Rakyat by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Instead, find out exactly what caused the flood. Where and how did the water reach such a limit that it created death and destruction?

You will get the answers to that problem. And stop such conditions from recurring in the future.

Newday: Right or wrong? Yes, minister, many trees with roots attached came down, most likely from the extremely swollen waters in ravines undercutting the embankment. You are half right.

Logging activities in the upper catchment were suspended three years ago, as you stated. But clear-felling has always been our method. Three years is not sufficient time for any regrowth to develop decent tree canopy or root systems to slow down or diminish water runoff.

Combine this with quite extreme rainfall, the effect downstream is multiplied, resulting in more riverbank erosion and undercut tree root systems than if the rain had landed on a mature forest canopy in the upper catchment. You are at least half wrong.

As for an act of God, you are almost spouting the line of insurance companies - if a house is flooded due to extreme rainfall and not in a normally flood-prone area, the insurers will determine this as an act of God.

One thing is clear - you have no understanding at all on the impact of man-made events such as logging on the natural environment, especially in areas of steep terrain.

Determined Sarawakian: That area may not be subjected to the activity of logging in recent years but it's definitely the activity of nearby orchard and farming industries.

Gunung Jerai's problems were not compounded from recent logging but years of environmental destruction for various cash crops in the surrounding areas for rubber, fruit orchards and commune development, etc.

When forested areas thinned, the surrounding undergrowth, shrubs and vegetation thinned as well, leading to soil erosion and minor land sliding.

When the huge amount of rainfall is unable to channel water into the proper water catchment, the soil erosion broke and copious amount of water rushes down like waterfall as the soil was no longer able to hold because of loose vegetation and loosen soil.

It's just too easy to blame the deadly floods on nature and an “act of God”. Most disasters will unlikely happen if there's no surrounding human activities.

Coupled with the severe weather resulting from climate change, it's benign to say we have nothing to do with this.

Ruslan Bahari: So Takiyuddin says, since no logging permits were issued, then logging didn't take place. And because you can see the roots of the uprooted trees, it was not logging but an act of God.

There's your MP’s quality, ladies and gentlemen. Be proud that Malaysia is blessed to have a man of such high intelligence and dignity.

Thesaint: Find the “root cause” with expert help and not conclude without robust assessment. Just because one sees a tree with roots floating in a river doesn’t mean such observation is conclusive.

The PM should direct the set-up of a panel of inquiry into this immediately. We need an assessment from an independent panel.

OCT: Takiyuddin has no guts to admit mistakes but instead, blames them on God. To do this is very unfair to God.

His party’s principle is based on God. By shifting the blame to God, isn’t that equal to backstabbing? God is not able to defend Himself. So, it is very convenient for him to blame God for any bad happenings.

God's affairs are in heaven. God is never here to create suffering for His followers. God loves His followers.

The minister is here on behalf of God to take care and look after his followers. Takiyuddin should take full responsibility when he doesn't do his job well.

Excuses, especially blaming God, are never fair to God. If so, he should set up a hotline with God so that he can call up God to ask Him not to cause suffering. This is a better option.

Don't just state the problem. Do something about it. If you don't know how to solve such problems, let another person do the job.

After getting rebuked by the Agong, he now insults God. He has no respect for anyone.

Apa Nama: Anwar, human greed is also an 'act of God'. Don't give Takiyuddin difficult terms like ‘anthropogenic activities’, etc. He needs to learn them and it will take some time. Just blame fate and move on. That is what he did.

Furthermore, you expect him to give solutions? Oh my God!

Mosquitobrain: Takiyuddin, the Gunung Jerai floods was a very clear-cut case of greed. It was due to the raping of virgin forests just like in Kelantan. God creates, man destroys.

It is a blessing in disguise Putrajaya is not 100 percent run by PAS. Otherwise, we'll be in a big mess. Blame everything on God the Almighty, why do we need you idiots for?

Freethinker: The ministry should be shut down if every natural disaster is attributed to God.

What's the point of having a ministry to overlook the environment, natural resources and such when everything is God’s fault?

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