Environmental group Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) could face deregistration

ROS may act against SAM
The Star 29 Dec 09;

MIRI: Environmental group Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) could face deregistration if there is proof that it is involved in activities which could threaten the nation’s interests, the Registrar of Societies Datuk Mohd Alias Kalil said.

Mohd Alias said the ROS office was closely monitoring SAM and other non-governmental organisation which acted extremely in fighting for their cause.

SAM has been actively involved in activities against commercial logging, plantation development and the building of dams in the country.

Mohd Alias however said he had not received any official complaint against SAM over the matter.

He added that more information was required before they could take action against the organisation.

Mohd Alias said the relevant agencies under the Home Ministry should also take follow-up action to ensure that the organisations did not operate illegally after their registration with ROS is cancelled.

He said this year, 705 organisations were deregistered, although only a small number were because they flouted regulations.

“Most of the organisations were deregistered because they failed to submit their annual reports.”

SAM president S.M. Mohd Idris said the organisation would not be deterred from continuing to raise issues concerning the environment.

He said issues related to the protection of the environment should not be considered anti-national.

“Moreover, we have not heard from the ROS. We have been functioning effectively for the last 30 years without any problem.

“We will continue to function and raise issues concerning our environment for the good of the nation,” he said.

Mohd Idris said SAM regretted that the logging issue had not been understood well.

“At the Climate Change Confe­rence in Copenhagen, our Prime Minister pledged that Malaysia would reduce up to 40% in terms of emissions per GDP by 2020 compared to the 2005 level,” he said.

ROS urged to be more civil and friendly to NGOs
The Sun Daily Sun2Surf 29 Dec 09;

GEORGE TOWN (Dec 29, 2009) : The registrar of societies’ threat to deregister Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) has prompted Gerakan to urge it to be more civil and friendly towards NGOs that raise issues in the interest of the public and nation.

Dr Cheah Soon Hai, head of Gerakan’s central bureau on environment, safety and quality of life, said NGOs and environmental groups are only playing their roles on matters relevant to their establishment.

ROS director Mohd Alias Kalil had reportedly said yesterday that SAM could face deregistration if there was proof it was involved in activities that could threaten the nation’s interest.

However, he said ROS had yet to receive any official complaint against SAM, which has been involved in activities against commercial logging and plantation development and the building of dams.

Alias also said ROS would closely monitor SAM and any NGO that acted in an "extreme manner" in fighting for their cause.

In a statement, Cheah said groups like SAM and Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) "by their very orientation, would raise issues related to protecting the environment".

"In a number of environmental issues, the position of NGOs will inevitably differ from the official stand but both sides should seek win-win solutions," he said.

He said ROS should not send the wrong signal to people that the government was trying to put pressure on NGOs to conform with official views on certain issues.

Cheah, who is also the state assemblyman for Derga in Kedah, said democracy and the rule of law must be able to accept different opinions.

"The results of democratic decision-making are likely to contrast with individual’s own views and we must learn to accept. We should not be biased or prejudiced," he said.

He said there should be "a level of conciliation" with the NGOs when views or opinions were unacceptable.