You need to be meticulous even if you are making the simplest of salads. Or the ensemble would look chaotic and taste suspect, just like the conclusion derived by Selangor Select Committee of Competency, Competency and Accountability (Selcat).
Its chairman, Hannah Yeoh, told the media she was satisfied with the testimony of two officers from the Chemistry Department and Health Ministry, who said that water extracted from ex-mining ponds are safe for public consumption.
And based on these testimonies, Yeoh will present Selcat’s findings to the state assembly for a debate. I too testified at the special hearing. So did Kelana Jaya’s MP Wong Chen.
I had repeatedly raised concerns about the presence of heavy metals in the Bestari Jaya ex-mining pond, substantiated by a comprehensive research study conducted by experts from University Malaya.
To combat drought, the Selangor state government wants to extract water from ex-mining ponds, channel it to Sungai Selangor and pump it into homes after the water is treated in the treatment plant.
The treatment plant, however, is not sufficiently equipped to clean out heavy metals.
Therefore, deriving at a conclusion just from relying on the testimonies of the government officers, Yeoh’s and SELCAT is suspect.
Yeoh has nonchalantly dismissed five years of academic research, which was published in international journals, did not get the academics involved in the research to testify at the closed door hearing and did not bother to consult independent academics and experts such as chemists and geologists – given conflicting views.
This is especially so when more academics have come forward to question the wisdom of using ex-mine water, particularly when it has not been treated or rehabilitated.
And neither did she wait to clarify the issue before shooting a statement and giving interviews to the media.
In short Yeoh and Selcat, which is supposed to be independent of the Selangor state government, have done a big disservice to the people of Selangor.
Furthermore, I fear that the DUN Selangor which meets next week will be misled by the report.
The truth is that we can live with a salad that is haphazardly made by a clueless cook. But consuming water contaminated with heavy metals, because a bunch of arrogant people, would spell disaster for our health.