Malaysia: Trials of a mighty river

Zora Chan The Star 28 Dec 10;

RAJANG River, the country’s longest river, seldom gets the media limelight. In 2010, however, the river made waves - not only in Malaysia but around the world - and for all the wrong reasons.

On Oct 7, a landslide occurred along Melatai River, a tributary on the upper reaches of the Rajang in Ulu Baleh, Kapit Division, and brought down tonnes of soil, sawn timber and wood waste into the river.

The disaster was reported widely including by the London-based BBC. Video clips of the logjam were also available on YouTube.

It was estimated that more than 300,000 cubic metres of logs and debris were washed away in the incident. It was an unprecedented logjam .

The debris, stretching for 50km on the river coupled with swift currents, brought down two bridges and damaged five jetties.

The logjam first shocked folk from Kapit and then a day later, those in Sibu. It halted express boat operations and other riverine activities for two days as the Rajang became dangerous for navigation.

Thousands of fish, including the prized ‘patin’ and ‘lulong’, which cost between RM35 and RM45 per kg, floated lifelessly to the surface of the river as their gills were clogged with mud.

The State Government said the logjam was a natural disaster and blamed the weather for the incident, stressing the prolonged heavy rainfall had caused the landslide which caused the logjam.

However, the people particularly those from Kapit and Sibu, were not convinced that it was merely an act of Mother Nature.

They scoffed at news reports which quoted authorities for saying that logging companies were not to be blamed for the disaster as they believed uncontrolled logging activities along Melatai River was the root cause.

The people were infuriated by the excuses and demanded an explanation.

Some Ibans who lived and depended on the river called for a grand miring ceremony to appease the gods so that the disaster will not recur.

They believed that the gods were angered by the massive destruction of the forests by logging companies.

So, on a cold and rainy Oct 17, the grand offering or ‘Muja Menua’ in Iban was held at the mouth of Melatai in Ulu Baleh at the break of dawn.

Gong Gerai, 75, of Rumah Singkuai, Nanga Selaut along Baleh River, insisted the logging companies were largely to be blamed for the logjam.

“We never experienced such a disaster before these companies arrived,” he said. Gong was one of 200 Iban elders who took part in the grand offering.

There were some 60 ‘piring’ offerings, and a dozen chickens and two pigs were sacrificed. The heads of the pigs were buried near the river mouth while the carcasses were placed on bamboo rafts and floated down the river.

The ‘Muja Menua’ basically served as a double-edged sword - firstly, to appease the gods which the Ibans believed was necessary and secondly, to send out a warning to logging companies to be more careful in their activities.

Land Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr James Masing, who officiated at the offering, said the ceremony should serve as a warning to all those involved, particularly timber companies, to respect mother nature when exploiting the state’s natural resources.

“The Ibans who live along the river have been very tolerant to the extent of asking for the forests’ and rivers gods’ forgiveness on behalf of those who they believed had caused the logjam.

“They are not doing this ceremony out of guilt, but in good faith. This shows how generous the community is. If this disaster happens again, the Ibans might not be so patient,” he warned.

Masing, who flew over the affected area by a helicopter to see for himself the extent of the damage, was still convinced that the cause of the logjam was not only a natural disaster but also excessive human activities.

“It rained for centuries here but why did the landslide and logjam occur all of a sudden?” he asked.

If there is any lesson that can be learnt from the logjam, it is that the words “sustainable development” must not be mere a lip service. There are laws and guidelines when it comes to harvesting natural resources, but are they being complied with or enforced effectively?

It’s high time for Sarawakians to stand up and demand that all natural resources be harvested according to a high standard of environmentally sound practices, and prosecute those who fail to do so.

Only strong public pressure will ensure the wise-use of the environment for posterity.