Simon Tan explains why he wants to support the fishermen’s cause even more after their march.
I arrived at the National Monument in the early morning of 11 July 2019 to join and support groups of fishermen from Penang and Perak, all wearing either black or white “Penang Tolak Tambak” or “Perak Tolak Tambak” T-shirts.
Later that morning, I met four groups of people that made a lasting impression on me and further inspired me in the cause of protecting our priceless environment.
Sustainable fishermen from Penang
The first group were the fishermen from Teluk Kumbar who have fished in that bay along the southern coastline of Penang Island for generations.
A representative told me that in the 1970s, his father just rowed his boat around the bay, cast his net and within two hours, his boat would be full of fresh wild fish and prawns.
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Today due to pollution and the reclamation at Bayan Lepas nearby, he has to use his single-engine boat to fish around Pulau Kendi off the southwest coast, almost two kilometres from the Sungai Batu jetty.
These fishermen are providers of fresh wild fish and prawns, earning an honest living using skills honed over generations while working with nature.
Worried fishermen of Perak
The second group were the fishermen from Perak. I had the chance to speak to their leader when I bought nasi lemak for them at a discount. He was happy that I managed to get a discount for them.
Compared to the fishermen of southern Penang Island who would lose 4,500 acres of fishing grounds, he said fishermen in Perak would suffer many times more acres of damaged sea bed from sand-dredging – on top of the pollution that would affect the whole Perak coastline.
Why do we sacrifice our rich fishing areas in northwestern Peninsula Malaysia that provide food security for our country?
I salute both groups of selfless fishermen who sacrificed their time and income for the day. They proved wrong the internet shills and spiteful commenters who spread fake news that the fishermen were paid by the present opposition.
Why overlook the national service provided by our inshore fishermen, who are providing fresh wild fish for our whole country at affordable prices.
These fishermen use low-carbon, safe and sustainable fishing methods practised over generations.
They carried banners such as “We reject PSR [Penang South Reclamation]”, “We reject compensation”, “We want to fish” and “Don’t pour sand into our rice pot”.
Activists struggling to save the environment
The third group were the NGO activists, including #PenangTolakTambak activists who raised funds for the event and sold T-shirts to supporters. These T-shirts were also distributed to known fishermen and supporters to provide uniformity and control, thus successfully preventing any party from hijacking the event.
Representatives of NGOs from around the country who are fighting against the destruction of the environment also turned up to support the fishermen. The friendly police personnel were satisfied with the smooth organisation, the uniform T-shirts and peaceful crowd, and I thank them for providing security and traffic control.
The MPs we are counting on
The fourth group were the MPs whom the fishermen and NGOs came to see.
I hope our elected representatives did not miss the key reasons for the march. If they did, here are a few questions for them to ponder over.
Why would the fishermen and NGO representatives sacrifice their time and lost income for the day to travel to Parliament?
Why do we need to sacrifice the rich undersea ecosystem that has benefited the Rakyat for centuries in the name of development that will benefit mainly the privileged?
Why link the massive reclamation to the bloated and convoluted PTMP [the so-called Penang Transport Master Plan]?
Now that we are experiencing the early signs of climate change, shouldn’t we have a moratorium on deforestation and reclamation?
There are many losers including the Rakyat like me who will have to grapple with scarce fresh wild fish supplies, soaring fish prices and the erosion of our food security.
All photographs by Simon Tan
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
GREED. The Govt itself (just a very small handful of people) is GREEDY for more and more REVENUE, in competition with other states. WHY this insatiable GREED for “development” if it cannot be done without destroying what nature has endowed this island with? The PSR area is not “some shallow muddy water” as claimed by YB Zairil, but a rich fishing ground that has provided cheap protein for the people for millennia. The economics of GROWTH (insatiable growth) is an environment destructive economics. People should be taught economics of SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, not “growth”. You can keep “growing” a balloon, but when you exceed its capacity to “grow” you have a disaster!
Simon, I have no objections to your opinions.
Without a doubt the PSR will impact the fishermen and their families directly.
Yet even as I know the counter arguments against the PSR, I am not convinced it will only be a playground for the elitists. The benefits in terms of stimulating economic growth is there, and providing work for the locals cannot be denied.
The PTMP , for all its defects made known by its critics , will still cater to the growth of the transportation needs of Penang(yes, for 6/7 years before the projected over capacity.)
Yet, we must accept the fact it is the duly elected govt.of Penang , so for better or for worse, the projects will proceed.
Stop the reclamation..the beach is not only for the rich…
….its greed capitalism in d works!!
Most of the small-time fishermen here operate within five miles of the coastline, where the marine bounty is plentiful. I spoke to a fisherman at one of the jetties. “This is the main prawn area for the whole of Penang. If we want to catch prawns, we take our boats there out in the daytime. If we want to catch fish, we go further out at night. If we want to catch a crab, we set our nets in the mudflats and come back a few days later,” he related. Indeed, we could see the horizon crowded with several dozen boats. A friend showed me his photographs of the boats at night, a thick cluster of small lights. Many conditions make the sea in Penang Island South an exceptional fishery zone. The curvaceous coastline hugging pristine beaches, small areas of mangrove and extensive tidal mudflats rich with nutrients. About 3km from the western headland is Pulau Kendi surrounded by hard and soft coral, while 380 metres from the other headland is Pulau Rimau where some fan coral survives. Between 2008 and 2018, the Fisheries Department has… Read more »
Tread gently upon Earth..save the livelihoods of our fisherfolk…they are a vital living part of what constitutes an inclusive Malaysia.