Penang MNS chapter adviser D. Kanda Kumar said oil slicks, even after clearing up, might affect the sea bed in the long run.

“Cleaning up alone does not solve everything. The damage may be long lasting as the oil breaks down to the seabed, affecting marine life.

“Case in point, the Alaska oil spill incident, the oil spots were still found four years after it happened,” he said.

Kanda said although clean-up had been completed, concerns over fouling of the shoreline must be addressed as well.

“To make things worse, floating debris on the sea may carry remnants of the oil. This, too has to be cleared up,” he said.

Kanda said the crisis could have been averted if the port and marine authorities had been more vigilant.

“How could the authorities allow the oil slicks to travel to the island?

“The detection could have been done at source of the spill and it could have been contained there and then.” he said.

Kanda added the state authorities should take the vessel’s owners to court for the oil spill.

“The state authorities must work with their marine counterparts, investigate what had happened.

“Why did the oil slick travel so far? Was it negligence? How many litres were discharged? These are burning questions that beg to be answered.

“We already have a massive sludge and oil dumping problem in the Malacca Strait.”