Living with Pollution

Our world today is getting closer to doom if humankind don’t take responsibility on their daily transaction in this world. Many people exuberate to have oil companies capable to produce million of dollars per day. But they failed to make people and environment happy. They only know the value of dollars but do not care about people health and environment. How many billion of dollars do the companies benefited out of palm oil? Are the profit benefited from this business is enough to pay for a live of innocent child contaminated by the diseases brought by substance emitted from factories? How about our environment? Can billion of dollars capable to save them too?

Let us ponder for a while why there have been lot of people in the world went out to the street and shout “SAVE OUR PLANET EARTH”. Isn’t this message enough to tell that our world is already suffering? Where is our environmentalist and leaders? What is the use of environmental laws should it only put in the pages of books? Sometimes our leaders just pretend as saviour of humanity and environment. But until what extend they exert efforts to quell the pollution currently destroying our surroundings. To question the sincerity of our leaders is another story. However, let us be pragmatic. Our environment threatened by pollution coming from various sources. The life of humanity is at risk. Where are the leaders of this time to address these problems?

In Sandakan we are not free of pollution too. Some communities particularly slums open to this sort of problem. One of the places I would like to share is the plight of the Skim Penempatan Kampung Bahagia and its people. For past few years before the two giant companies of Palm oil in Malaysia (IOI and IJM) build in this neighbourhood Skim Penampatan Kampung Bahagia had clean air and water. By that time the children not only enjoying the clean air but also took their time swam in the clear sea water just beneath the bridge of this place without any fear of toxic. While entering the community fresh air from the mountain can be sense by our olfaction. Fishes, crabs and prawns are visible swam just beneath our homes. The mud during low tides had variety of shells crawled searching for their foods. The people in this neighbourhood by that time really basked the gift of God put in the clean environment. Sad to say, nowadays that natural endowment can not anymore found here. All those gifts are gone. Only remain is the good memory. Factories toxic have taken it all away from us. The aroma from these oil factories has become the aroma of our community. The dirt discharge from these companies became the colour of our sea water and the atmosphere filled with heavy black smoke.

The question now is the substance and the black smoke emitted from these factories not dangerous to our health? Why the management of these companies don’t tell the people in this community if the substance and smoke discharge not risk to their lives and to environment. What is really behind?


It is known Skim Penempatan Kampung Bahagia is refugees’ community. All we need from the management and owner of these companies is to give attention to this matter sincerely. Don’t let the people in this community incognizant of the fact. If this place is not anymore safe to us then tell our people, particularly the leaders about this problem. We are appealing to all please look at us with mercy. We are already suffering for past ten years. There have been lots of damages caused by this man-made catastrophe in our community. Let us join hand to save the lives of people living in this community and our environment.