Stupid civil servants trying to bluff people!

Land Development Minister James Masing and Director of Forests Len Talif clash over the interpretation of the causes of the logjam that spread over 250 km of the Rajang River two weeks ago.

While Masing puts the blame on logging activities, much of which were carried out illegally in forests at Sungai Melatai in his constituency of Baleh, Len says the loggers should not be blamed as the causes of the logjam were due to the changing patterns of rain in the area.

Masing says heavy logging activities have caused landslides during heavy rains bringing with it logs and debris down the river right to the mighty Rajang River.

Masing wants the authorities to take stern action against companies which have been carrying out intensive logging activities in the area. According to him, this was the third incident of its kind.

In a direct challenge to Masing, Len said that logging activities in the upper reaches of Rajang River should not be blamed for the recent logjam.

“Many thought that logging was the main cause, but studies showed that it contributed minimally to the massive debris that clogged the Rajang River for several days.

“The changing pattern of rain in the area is the main culprit which has been changing in the last three years.

“According to the hydrographs report on Nanga Ga’at, the water level on October 3 at 4.48 pm was 8 metres. On October 7 at 7.00 am, the water level was 5 metres. At 9.00 pm on the same day, it rose to 11 metres.

“Through this study, we have concluded that the debris was caused by the concentration of rains within a short period,” he said.

Most of the debris in the form of logs came from the forests of Sungai Melatai.

According to Len, the logging activities from Sungai Melatai had stopped since 2007.

Commenting on Len’s statement, Masing who is also the state assemblyman for Baleh said that the Forestry and he had a different interpretation of what has been described as “natural and man-made disaster.”

“I am not being polemical here. But it is interesting to note that where there are massive soil erosions in the upper reaches of Baleh River there are extensive logging activities.

“There are no massive erosions where there are no logging activities.

“What does this mean?” he asked.

“Let soil experts make their conclusion. I stand to be corrected on the cause of Baleh logjam issue,” said Masing, who is also the president of Parti Rakyat Sarawak.

It is obvious that Len is policing Taib’s balls at the expense of his professional integrity.

It does not take one to be a scientist to know that the debris consisting of logs and timber parts are the ones that have caused the logjam. These logs and timber parts have been piled up over the years so when heavy rains came, the logs and timber parts were washed away.

You cannot bluff all people all the time. Nowadays people are even smarter than Len Talif except that they are not given a chance to prove themselves.

What a stupid man he is!

Another “apple polisher” civil servant is divisional engineer of the department of irrigation and drainage, Ting Sing Kwong who says that the low water level of the Rajang River is due to dry weather. It is NOT due to the impoundment of the Bakun dam, he says.

Why that is all these years Rajang River has never experienced such a low water level? Why did it happen when we started to impound water into the dam? Don’t try to bluff people and make yourself look stupid in the eyes of the public.– The Broken Shield.