Latest news with #RajeshNagarajan
Free Malaysia Today
03-07-2025
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
K'tan govt to blame for residents' reliance on boreholes, says NGO
A recent report said around 600,000 Kelantan residents who rely on wells and boreholes may face long-term health issues due to the high iron and manganese content in the groundwater. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Environmental group Peka has accused the Kelantan government of providing inadequate water infrastructure for its residents, forcing them to rely on wells and boreholes as their primary source of water. Peka president Rajesh Nagarajan said this reliance on boreholes forces residents to depend on underground sources without sufficient monitoring or regulatory safeguards. His remarks follow an Utusan Malaysia report that around 600,000 Kelantan residents who rely on wells and boreholes may face long-term health issues due to the high iron and manganese content in the groundwater. The report quoted the National Water Research Institute of Malaysia as saying iron levels in Bachok and Kota Bharu had reached 3.79 mg/l, while manganese levels had reached 0.76 mg/l, far above the health ministry's standards of 0.3 mg/l and 0.1 mg/l, respectively. Responding to the report, Kelantan deputy menteri besar Fadzli Hassan said the state government was ready to work with the state health department to examine the levels of these substances. He said immediate action would be taken if a serious health hazard was found. However, Rajesh said the government should instead work to provide clean, treated and piped water. 'Water from boreholes may, and do, contain elevated levels of iron and manganese, which can lead to serious long-term health risks, particularly for children, pregnant women, and the elderly. 'These risks include Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, mitochondrial dysfunction, cardiovascular issues, as well as various respiratory and neurological disorders,' he said. Rajesh suggested that the state also emulate Thailand in harvesting rainwater as a sustainable water source, given Malaysia's abundant rainfall. 'In Thailand, schools, homes, and government buildings are equipped with rooftop collection systems, filtration units, and storage tanks to supply clean rainwater throughout the year. 'This approach reduces pressure on the supply of piped water,' he said.
Free Malaysia Today
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Peka demands answers from mayor on new Bukit Gasing bungalows
Peka president Rajesh Nagarajan said the Petaling Jaya mayor has not provided any document to prove a controversial bungalow project in Bukit Gasing meets MBPJ's criteria. PETALING JAYA : Environmental group Peka has demanded Petaling Jaya mayor Zahri Samingon prove that the construction of several bungalows at Bukit Gasing here meets the city council's conditions. In a statement, Peka president Rajesh Nagarajan said Zahri's assertion that the project complies with Petaling Jaya City Council's (MBPJ) criteria is unsubstantiated, as no supporting documents or reports were provided. 'There is no transparency at all from the authorities even though this is a matter that affects the lives of the residents of Bukit Gasing,' said Rajesh. 'If the project is truly compliant with the rules, we demand that MBPJ show us the approvals. Failing this, the only logical conclusion is that the approvals were not in order.' Peka recently called for a halt to the development of several bungalows at Bukit Gasing as they are being constructed on steep slopes. The group threatened to take legal action against MBPJ if it did not halt the development, which it claimed involved the extensive felling of trees on steep slopes. Peka claimed several landslides had already been reported in the area and that continued clearing could endanger lives. In response, Zahri today said the bungalows were being developed on private land and the project meets MBPJ's conditions, adding that it did not encroach on Bukit Gasing's forest reserve area. In a report in The Star, Zahri said the construction is located on land that can be developed, going on to note that there is a clear delineation of the border with the forest reserve. Rajesh today said Zahri's remarks on the delineation were irrelevant as Peka never said the development was encroaching into the forest reserve. 'Our concern is with bungalow development on steep slopes, which poses landslide risks to the area,' he said. 'The mayor is steadfastly avoiding addressing the issue at hand and is instead deflecting our concerns by responding to a point that was never raised and is not a point of contention.'
Free Malaysia Today
20-06-2025
- Climate
- Free Malaysia Today
Protect Shah Alam's forests to curb floods, group tells Selangor govt
About 180 homes were affected and more than 100 residents evacuated after flash floods hit Taman Bukit Kemuning in Shah Alam this morning. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Environmental group Peka has urged the Selangor government to take immediate action to protect forested areas to prevent recurrent flash floods around Shah Alam. Its president, Rajesh Nagarajan, called for a halt to any clearing or development in forest areas regardless of their gazetted status. He said the forests act as crucial water catchments and flood buffers for areas like the Shah Alam community. Rajesh urged the authorities to re-gazette environmentally sensitive zones for their permanent protection, as well as to enforce strict no-development zones on steep slopes and water catchment areas. He said the Shah Alam community forest – a 174ha lowland rainforest stretching from Sections U10 to U13 – is being fragmented by encroachments, despite being part of a wildlife corridor. 'The loss of tree cover and soil permeability has led to increased runoff, overwhelmed drainage systems and accelerated flood risks,' he said in a statement. This follows the flash floods at Taman Bukit Kemuning in Shah Alam this morning, affecting about 180 homes and forcing more than 100 residents to evacuate. Motorists were also reportedly stuck at the Kota Kemuning toll plaza. Rajesh said these floods were not isolated weather anomalies. He cited the many incidents around the area as key examples, including one instance in April involving Taman Sri Muda and Taman Melawis. He also pointed to the devastating December 2021 floods, which forced the evacuation of 400,000 people and resulted in nearly 50 deaths. 'These floods are not natural disasters, they are man-made. The forests were our protection and we have destroyed them. 'This is not just an environmental issue, but a human one. The destruction of forests has led directly to property damage, economic loss, and community hardship,' he said.
Free Malaysia Today
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Stop Bukit Gasing deforestation or we'll sue, NGO tells MBPJ
Peka president Rajesh Nagarajan (sixth from left, standing) with residents and hikers from Petaling Jaya and Bukit Gasing at the MBPJ building today. PETALING JAYA : An environmental group today warned that it would take legal action against the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) if it did not halt the development activity in Bukit Gasing. Peka president Rajesh Nagarajan said four weeks was 'more than enough time' for MBPJ to stop the development, which he claimed involved the extensive felling of trees on steep slopes. 'If we do not see any improvement, we will have no choice but to go to court,' he told reporters at a gathering outside the MBPJ headquarters here. Peka also handed over a memorandum urging MBPJ to take immediate action and stop further activity in what it said was the last green lung in Petaling Jaya. NGO secretary-general Vimala Raghavan claimed that several landslides had already been reported and said continued clearing could endanger lives. 'No more landslides. Our lives matter. If you kill the forest and the animals, do you think we can live? No way at all,' she said. Vimala also said that monkeys, whose habitats had been destroyed, were now seen roaming the streets in search of food. The protest was joined by a group of residents and hikers from Bukit Gasing and Petaling Jaya, who echoed Peka's call for an immediate end to all logging and development activities in the area. Rajesh asked how the project had received approval, given the history of landslides and high rainfall in the area. 'You are destroying the forest. Bukit Gasing is the last green lung we have in Petaling Jaya. If you destroy it, we'll be left with a concrete jungle,' he said.
Free Malaysia Today
08-06-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Penang to expand 5% housing discount beyond Indian Muslim buyers
Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state executive council will make a decision that 'serves the interests of all parties'. PETALING JAYA : Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow says the state government is looking to extend its recently announced 5% housing discount for Indian Muslims to all communities. Chow said he had received feedback that the discount should be offered to all home buyers with the aim of revitalising the property sector, particularly in relation to unsold units. 'In response, I have directed state executive councillor for housing and environment S Sundarajoo to work with developers to refine the policy with a view of extending the discount to all buyers,' he said in a statement. 'This would make the initiative more inclusive and beneficial to all segments of society, in line with the principles of social justice.' He said the state executive council will review the matter in detail and make a decision that 'serves the interests of all parties'. The discount was announced on Thursday by Sundarajoo, who said private developers will be encouraged to voluntarily offer a 5% discount to first-time Indian Muslim homebuyers for one year as part of a state housing campaign. The initiative was criticised by human rights lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan, who called the campaign discriminatory and unconstitutional. Sundarajoo defended the discount, saying it did not infringe on the rights of other communities and was purely aimed at increasing homeownership among groups with low participation in the open market. He also said developers would offer the discount as a form of corporate social responsibility and this would not involve the state government's funds.
