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Showing posts with label Consumers Association of Penang (CAP). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Consumers Association of Penang (CAP). Show all posts

Wednesday 23 December 2020

Time to grow own greens

 

 Effortless Effort—The Eat-All Greens Garden


https://youtu.be/9a-dUO7Qn58

 

A participant trying her hand at composting with a pipe during the chemical-free urban farming workshop by CAP.

THE movement control order (MCO) saw people stocking up on essentials like canned food, rice, noodles and seasoning, but they overlooked the need for greens in their diet.

Perhaps, marketing and buying vegetables would not have been a matter of top priority during such trying times but many failed to realise that one can grow these greens in the tiniest space available.

To teach the public on the perks of having their own greens to cook as well as ways to make these plants thrive under any living condition, Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) has come to the rescue by holding its monthly chemical-free urban farming workshop.

CAP education officer N.V. Subbarow shared how many do not realise about the chemicals that are used to keep vegetables fresh for days.


 Subbarow (in green) showing participants how to make compost using organic waste at the workshop at the CAP premises in Jalan Masjid Negeri, Penang. — Photos: CHAN BOON KAI/The Star

“If you can plant and grow your own vegetables it would be great.

“Now with this pandemic, many are not consuming vegetables as it is considered easier to just eat canned or take-away food.

“There are many preservatives in those meals and in the long run it can cause health issues.

“If one can plant and grow greens in their house, it would not only be good for their health but the environment as well.

“Here we are teaching people the correct way to plant vegetables and how to produce compost to ensure a great yield as well, ” he said at one of the workshops at the CAP premises in Jalan Masjid Negeri, Penang, recently.

Subbarow said the workshop aimed to teach people how to plant vegetables like chilli, okra and other greens.

“We have tested shop-bought vegetables and many times they contain chemicals to keep them fresh.

“Here you know what goes into growing your vegetables at home.

“We have ways in which people can plant their vegetables even if they are living in an apartment.

“These are vegetables that are consumed daily.

“You only need the right soil.

“They can be planted in pre-used pots or containers, ” he said.

Subbarow said the participants were taught to not only plant vegetables, but also on how to keep pests away from plants organically by using other plants to ward them off as well as homemade growth enhancers for plants using fish and brown sugar.

“It can be a whole family hobby, planting and harvesting their vegetables.

“I encourage families to plant now as they can start harvesting in weeks or a few months depending on what they plant.

“This is one way to save money as well, because by cooking two vegetable dishes from your garden, you have covered one meal for the day, ” he said.

Subbarow then taught the participants how to make compost, one being collecting organic waste and making compost in a container.

“Then there is the seven pot system where organic waste is placed in a pot a day with pots marked for each day of the week.

“This helps keep track of your compost and then you can plant something in each pot.

“The third way is where a pipe is placed in the pot with 5cm of the pipe buried in the soil.

“Organic waste is placed in the pipe and the pipe is closed to avoid water mixing with the compost.

“The roots of the plant in the pot will absorb the nutrients from the compost, ” he said.

CAP education officer Saraswathi Devi Odian also taught participants to layer soil in a pot.

“People do not realise you have to mix the soil.

“You need half the pot to be filled with garden soil, the other half has to be equal parts of sand, red soil and compost, ” she said.

Friends Rachel Jasmine Richard and M. Deenadayalani, both 27, were happy to attend the workshop to learn about planting vegetables.

Friends Rachel Jasmine Richard (right) and M. Deenadayalani (left), both 27, feeling the texture of the soil during the free chemical urban farming training organised by Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) at its premises in Jalan Masjid Negeri, Penang./PicbY:CHAN BOON KAI/The Star/25 July 2020.

Rachel said she had planted curry leaves and pandan, but now realised that she did not use the right soil.

“I only used garden soil which is not good enough.

“I now want to plant chillies and will do it the right way.

“I always wondered if I could use the peels from vegetables and fruits, now I know I can compost it, ” said the customer service representative.

Deenadayalani, whose mother loves to plant vegetables, said they have quite a number of greens in their garden.

“I would like to plant tomatoes next, ” she said.

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Thursday 26 October 2017

Penang landslide tragedy, why it happened?

Speaking out: Penang Forum members protesting outside the CAP office in George Town.

Don’t just make it about worker safety issues


https://youtu.be/xVK77MvxrZw


GEORGE TOWN: A Penang Forum member is worried that the state’s proposed inquiry into the Tanjung Bungah landslide will only focus on worker safety issues.

Meenakshi Raman, who is also Tanjung Bungah Residents Associa­tion chairman, said the inquiry should instead look at the laws that have not been followed and whether or not the Penang Structure Plan (PSP) was neglected.

“It should also look at whether the Penang Island City Council (MBPP), which has the authority to act, failed to properly do its job.

“We hope the commission will broaden its scope of inquiry,” she told press conference at the Consu­mers Association of Penang (CAP) office yesterday.

Penang Forum is a loose coalition of several civil society groups in the state.

The coalition, which includes Sahabat Alam Malaysia, CAP, Malay­sian Nature Society, Women's Centre for Change, Penang Heritage Trust, Friends of Botanical Gardens, and 25 residents’ associations and management committees, urged the state to halt all hillslope projects immediately.

It also wants the state to amend the 2009 guidelines on “special projects” to explicitly prohibit development on hill lands except for essential public services.

Forum member Dr Lim Mah Hui said the Penang Hills Watch citizens’ initiative provided the state government with information on hill cutting it collected from the public.

“In January, this site was the first case we highlighted to the state government.

“Photos of construction and hill cutting there were presented to the state government. It responded that the ‘earthwork is being monitored’,” he said.

Dr Lim said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng wrote in the Safety Guidelines for Hillside Development in 2012 that local governments were to strengthen their geotechnical units, which process and approve applications for hillside developments, and follow up with strict enforcement.

“It says a monitoring team will be established to ensure compliance in construction and performance (of projects).

“The question is what happened then? Did the state and local governments follow their own guidelines? Or was there gross negligence?

“Such a tragedy could have been avoided,” Dr Lim claimed.

He also said parties like the State Planning Committee, MBPP’s One-Stop-Centre Committee (which approved the project), the engineers, the developer and contractors should be investigated.

CAP vice-president Mohideen Abdul Kader said Penangites’ concerns over hill development dated back some three decades.

“Remember the proposed Penang Hill development which we managed to cancel in the end? What the state must do now is look after the natural resources and listen to the NGOs.

“Public pressure can make a difference,” he said.

Another forum member, Dr Kam Suan Pheng, said the Penang Structure Plan forbade development on hill land 76m (250ft) above sea level or with a gradient of 25° and above.

“But many developers cut hillslopes, making them steeper and less stable.

“The weather is always blamed but there was no rain for the past week. So how did the landslide happen?” she asked.

Dr Kam said the Safety Guidelines for Hillside Development clearly state that “if you have a slope ... depending on the height of the slope, you need to have a buffer zone that is greater than the height of the slope.”

“From the media reports, the height of the affected slope is 10m, so there should be a buffer zone of 10m from the foothill,” she said, adding that the inquiry should explore this aspect.

Penang Citizens Awareness Chant Group adviser Yan Lee urged the developer to conduct studies on improving on-site safety measures and engage foreign consultants to make sure the project can go on safely.

“They should also make sure the deceased workers’ families are taken care of.”


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Penang government urged to halt all hillslope project


Sunday 22 October 2017

Penang landslide tragedy, plea went unheeded, no one listened !


https://youtu.be/QB45Q2_mOG0
Suspicious activity: A photo taken from Penang social activist Anil Netto's blog showing an active stone quarry about 500m directly behind the site of the landslide.
https://youtu.be/yqtdkBsipCU

GEORGE TOWN: As the landslide tragedy takes its toll with three workers killed and 11 others feared dead, DAP state assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu said there are still 10 other development projects pending, but his plea to save the hills has been constantly ignored.

Some of the projects will be near hillsides and more are planned along the coastline. A few are projected to be 50 to 60 storeys high, said the Tanjung Bungah assemblyman.

“I objected to each one. I always use the words Saya membantah sekeras-kerasnya (I strongly object) and some city councillors laughed at me and said the approval authority ‘menyokong sepenuh-penuhya’ (fully supports).

“Now see what has happened,” Teh told The Star.

He was referring to the one-stop centre at the Penang Island City Council (MBPP), which is in charge of approving property development plans on the island.

Teh, who rushed to the scene of the landslide shortly after it happened at about 8.30am yesterday, did not hide his discontent over the spurt of development projects in his constituency.

“Not all those development applications have been approved yet.

“But after the general election, I expect a mushrooming of approvals,” he added.

Tanjung Bungah is one of the few residential areas on the island with a low population density.

The Lembah Permai area, locally called Hillside or Vale of Tempe, is a coveted location for its semi-detached, terraced and bungalow homes.

But in recent years, developers have been submitting plans for high-rises that rival even the height of Komtar, in the area’s unoccupied hills and seaside.

Yesterday’s landslide happened at a construction site near Lorong Lembah Permai 3.

Tens of thousands of tonnes of laterite earth slipped down from a height of about 35m, burying the workers.

Firemen told reporters that the search operation had to be carried out slowly because the slope was unstable.

Teh said he objected to the project’s planning permission about two years ago because the original hill slope had a steepness of 30 to 40 degrees.

“I apologise to my voters in Tanjung Bungah. I objected to the construction, but my words were only taken as a personal view by the MBPP and state government.

“I also apologise to the family members of the victims buried by the landslide,” he said.

Asked about a stone quarry located some 500m further uphill from where the landslide occurred, Teh said that it was active, with rock blasting going on two to three times a week.

“I am against that too, but it was allowed to continue,” he added.

Source: The Star

Another call to stop all hill-slope development immediately



Why must it take a tragedy to happen in Penang before the Penang state and local governments wake up to the dangers of rampant and unsustainable development especially on hill slopes? Or will they wake up?

Two years ago, in December 2015, the Penang Forum, alarmed by such negative developments, organised a half-day event titled “Save Our Hills” in which engineering, planning and legal experts gave presentations on the dangers of hill-slope development. (The presentations are available on Penang Forum’s website.)

It then called on the government to review and stop further hill-slope projects. Very sadly, the call fell on deaf ears and the consequences are painfully evident today after an estimate of perhaps 15 lives are lost in a landslide at a hill-slope project in Tanjung Bungah.

Penang Forum then started Penang Hills Watch (PHW), a citizens’ initiative to provide the state government, information on hill cuttings that it collects from the public. In January 2017, the PHW met with the state government; the present site where this tragedy happened was the first case that PHW highlighted to the state government. (Please visit the PHW website.) Photos of construction and hill cutting on this site were presented to the state government – to which it responded that the “earthwork is being monitored.”

The chief minister of Penang, in the Safety Guidelines for Hillside Development, said: “Penang Local Governments (MPPP and MPSP) are to strengthen their Geotechnical unit, which processes and approves applications for hill site developments, followed by strict enforcement. A monitoring team will be established to ensure compliance in construction and monitoring performance of slopes.”

The question is what happened then? Did the state and local governments follow through their own guidelines? Or was there gross negligence?

Such senseless tragedy could have been avoided. Penang Forum calls for an independent Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate what went wrong and how such incidents can be avoided in the future. All parties beginning from the State Planning Committee that gave approval for all hill-slope projects, to the One-Stop-Committee of the Penang Island City Council that also approved the project, to the engineers who are supposed to monitor the projects, to the developers and contractors who carried out the project should be investigated and held responsible.

In the meantime, Penang Forum once again calls on the authorities to:

  • stop all hill-slope projects with immediate effect;
  • immediately amend the 2009 guidelines on ‘special projects’ to explicitly prohibit all development on hill lands, except if it is for essential public services;
  • rehabilitate all existing exposed and barren slopes and spaces to prevent further soil erosion;
  • undertake stern enforcement, effective and deterrent punishment on those who clear land illegally or do not abide by conditions imposed to prevent soil-erosion;
  • monitor frequently and effectively all hill slopes by the local authorities;
  • publicly declare and give warning on all hill slopes and areas that are not safe.

Sources: Penang Forum 
Sahabat Alam Malaysia
Consumers Association of Penang 
Residents associations and management committees of Penang

Related Links:

www.thestar.com.my/.../tanjung-bungah-landslide-penang-forum-highlighted-cases/
GEORGE TOWN: Landslides at hill slope projects in Tanjung Bungah have been highlighted to the state government since early this year, ..

Will fatal landslide spur state to protect hills?
Groups call for RCI to investigate tragedy
Missing supervisor transferred recently
DOSH and construction board to probe cause of landslide
Three bodies pulled out, 11 workers still buried in rubble

 

Consumers & Residents tell state govt, ‘We told you so’



https://youtu.be/znzduuH8Soc

GEORGE TOWN: The Tanjung Bungah Residents’ Association (TBRA) is demanding for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on all hill slope developments in Penang, following a landslide at a construction site this morning that buried nearly 18 people.

TBRA chair Meenakshi Raman said the RCI would be a form of audit on all risky hill slope projects in the state, to prevent any tragedies from happening again.

She also said the TBRA had repeatedly appealed to the Penang government to put an end to hill slope developments as it would have a domino effect on flash floods in the state.

“We were called ‘irrational’ by the Penang government when we appealed for hill slope developments to stop. Who’s irrational now?

“Today’s incident is a grave and grim warning to the authorities to take heed of Mother Nature’s warning,” Meenakshi said when contacted today.

In the 8.50am incident, a 10m-high hill slope came crashing down next to a construction site not far from the Tunku Abdul Rahman College in Tanjung Bungah.

At the time of writing, two survivors were rescued, while two more bodies were retrieved from the mud and rubble. Although their identities are not yet known, they are believed to be foreign workers.

Meenakshi said during last month’s flash floods, TBRA and other residents’ associations made a collective appeal to the state government to end all excess developments and hill clearing in the state.

TBRA, concerned groups, and Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) had also previously called on the Penang government to amend existing guidelines concerning hill slopes.

Meanwhile, SAM president S M Mohamed Idris said the NGO had written to the Penang government “several times” urging them to stop hillside developments.

“We have warned that hill slopes are fragile ecosystems and cannot be touched.

“And now, we are really shocked that the lives of many have been sacrificed. We support TBRA’s call for an urgent RCI,” he said when contacted.

Source: Free Malaysia Today

Related 

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Monday 16 October 2017

Call for action on flooding solution

Some representatives of the 24 residents associations and management corporations showing messages urging the state to resolve the flood issues in Penang. — Photos: ASRI ABDUL GHANI /The Star

Meenakshi (right) speaking on the group’s concerns at the press conference. 


Irked residents to hold meeting with state representatives on Oct 29


https://youtu.be/n2vO-nsZxkY

FRUSTRATED by the never-ending flood problems in Penang, a group has got together to arrange a meeting with state representatives on Oct 29.

The group of 24 residents associations and management corporations believes that the blame game between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan politicians should be stopped as the floods have caused a lot of hardship to the people.

Spokesperson Meenakshi Raman said the group would have experts share data collected on floods in their respective areas at the briefing.

“We want to make a collective call to the state government to take the flood and hill erosion issues very seriously,” she said at a press conference at the Consumers Association of Penang in Jalan Masjid Negeri yesterday.

Meenakshi said the state representatives could use the data gathered at the briefing titled ‘Penang Flood: Call for Action’ and discuss the matter during the upcoming state assembly in November.

The briefing is open to the public and the venue and time will be announced later.

“Flood mitigation alone is inadequate. We want comprehensive action and a stop to unsafe overdevelopment at hill slopes,” said Meenakshi.

Representatives of residents groups from Bandar Baru Ayer Itam attended the press conference to voice their dissatisfaction over the repeated flooding in the township, especially in Lebuhraya Thean Tek, Jalan Thean Tek and Lintang Thean Tek.

The groups are from Tanjung Court Condominium, Desa Delima (Tower Blocks), Sri Impian, Fortune Court, Treasure Ville and Desa Baiduri. Tanjung Court Condominium residents ad-hoc group representative K. Suthakar said Lebuhraya Thean Tek in Bandar Baru Ayer Itam would be badly hit by floods every time there was heavy rain.

“The state government keeps saying that the Federal Government doesn’t give them enough money.

“Will the flooding problems go on for five or 10 more years? How long is this going to continue? We are suffering,” he said.

He urged MPs to attend the briefing as well so that they could bring up the flood issue in Parliament.

Later, the group showed photos of landslides that happened during the Sept 15 flooding at Fettes Park, Solok Tembaga and Sungai Ara.

They urged Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to focus on resolving the flood issues.

Penang Opposition leader Datuk Jahara Hamid said it was a good initiative to hold the briefing as there was a need to better understand the concerns of the people.

“I can only confirm attendance after the venue and time have been fixed,” she said.

Meanwhile, PKR Penanti assemblyman Dr Norlela Ariffin said she would attend the briefing.

Source: by Intan Amalina Mohd Ali The Star

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Wednesday 17 February 2016

Penang City Council barking up wrong tree ?

Save the trees: Mohamed Idris hugging a tree as other CAP members and protesters stage a peaceful demonstration in Jalan Masjid Negeri.

GEORGE TOWN: A Penang Island City councillor has joined hands with the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) and other non-governmental organisations in protesting the council’s decision to transplant 18 trees for its road widening project along Jalan Masjid Negeri here.

Councillor Dr Lim Mah Hui said the island’s road widening projects to ease traffic jams were a futile effort as they were not for the long term.

“We have enough evidence to show that road widening is not a permanent solution for heavy traffic.

“Instead, it will only increase the number of vehicles on the road,” he said when met during a peaceful demonstration by CAP in Jalan Masjid Negeri yesterday.

Dr Mah said besides transplanting trees, the council and state government should think of other ways such as carpooling to ease traffic.

“The public has to deal with heavy traffic during peak hours and public holidays.”

Earlier, CAP members held a demonstration to show their objection to the 1.8km road widening project along Jalan Masjid Negeri.

Its president S.M. Mohamed Idris hugged a tree to show his disapproval.

“People and trees are being relocated and environment is being destroyed in the name of development.

“I am extremely upset that consideration is given to vehicles at the expense of trees,” he told the reporters.

Mohamed Idris said this was unacceptable and he described the decision as pure madness.

“The fast pace development in the state is destroying Penang’s natural charm.

“With the greenery being replaced by concrete, Penang will soon become an unliveable place,” he said.

He added that the people should come together to oppose this action as there was a dire need to preserve the island’s tree-lined roads.

It was reported on Feb 6 that 18 trees would be affected along the Jalan Scotland-bound stretch, starting from Lorong Batu Lanchang-Jalan Masjid Negeri junction to the Jalan Air Itam-Jalan Masjid Negeri junction in its 1.8km road widening project along Jalan Masjid Negeri.

There are 33 trees lining the left side of the road where the current two-lane roadway will be increased to three lanes to cope with the heavy traffic flow, but the council managed to reduce the amount of trees affected to 18.

The project is scheduled for completion in May next year.

-  Logeiswary Thevadassa and Reena Hod The Star/Asia News Network


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Wednesday 4 December 2013

Educate public on changes in e-technology, CAP urged



Warn kids against revealing personal information on FB, Govt urged

THE Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) has urged the Government to take pro-active measures in raising awareness consumers on the rapid changes in electronic technology.

“If Malaysia is truly to become a knowledge society, the citizens must be knowledgeable and be aware of the dangers and risks that come with new technology.

“It can easily be done if a part of the tax revenue from the profits of technology companies is used to educate consumers on the right use of the technology that most people have become dependent on today,” CAP president S.M. Mohamed Idris said in a statement yesterday.

“Children must also be informed on the dangers of revealing personal details on social networking sites such as Facebook and others,” he said.

Mohamed Idris said the Government should also provide facilities for encryption and decryption of data, and make mandatory for mobile phones, tablets and computers to be equipped with them.

“Encryption is the only way of communication secured enough for the military or banking, where a high level of security is de-sired,” he said.

Mohamed Idris was commenting on press reports that Singa-pore was a key partner of the 5-Eyes intelligence group that allegedly tapped telephones and monitored communication networks in Kuala Lumpur.


Is The Five Eyes Alliance watching you?

Based on information leaked by intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden, Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad reported that Singapore was a key ‘third party’ providing the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand access to Malaysia’s communication channel.

Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald cited documents leaked by Snowden alleging that Singapore military intelligence was helping the US, British and Australian spy agencies tap data passing through a major undersea cable that is partly owned by Singapore Telecommunications Ltd

Sources: The Star/Asia News Network

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