He said this in response to comments today by activist Mariam Mokhtar that Johari had refused to meet Persatuan Tindakan Alam Sekitar Sungai Petani (PTAS) to hear its concerns over illegal recycling factories spewing effluents in the town.
“The last time Ong approached me was in June, with a memorandum. After that, she has never asked me for a meeting.
“I am okay to meet up. Just tell me the date, time and place, and we shall meet,” Johari told FMT when contacted.
He said PTAS is free to express its feelings in any way, even through protests, and he was ever willing to hear them out.
“If they want to protest, like in Hong Kong, they can also go ahead. But I still do not understand their real cause.
“They said the pollution situation is like Pasir Gudang in Johor but, tell me, has anyone fallen seriously ill?
“Why don’t they protest over the Kalimantan forest fires, which have caused the haze and resulted in many people falling ill?”
In a comment piece in FMT today, Mariam slammed Johari for being dismissive over PTAS’ concerns, despite the group having evidence of the existence of more than 20 illegal factories. PTAS has claimed that some “closed” factories were still operating.
“Instead of meeting the residents, Johari went on the defensive and said that the protesters did not have accurate facts. He accused outsiders, and not Sungai Petani residents, of being instrumental in orchestrating two (protest) rallies.
“To add insult to injury, he claimed that the local environment department officers and local councillors had advised him that only licensed factories are allowed to operate.
“Is Johari a very naive MP, a very ignorant one, or one who is clueless?”
‘Why don’t you ask Zuraida?’
Commenting further on the illegal recycling factories and dumping grounds issue in Sungai Petani, Johari said the Kedah government and the municipal council there had worked tirelessly to close them down.
He said even the Department of Environment and other agencies had followed up on PTAS’ complaints and found no truth to their air pollution complaints.
PTAS has said the burning from illegal plastic recycling factories has caused poor air quality for the past year.
“You can’t place enforcement officers in every other place in SP. It is like a police-and-thief game.
“And mind you, this illegal plastic waste is not just a problem here, but in other neighbouring states, too,” he said.
Johari also said the call by PTAS to close all recycling factories in Sungai Petani to solve the issue was not right as it would be unfair to those that had been operating for some 15 years.
“It is not fair to those which have been there for years, operating legally. But I agree, we should stop new factories. But if we were to close all these factories, some 3,000 workers would be out of job,” he said.
Johari also said PTAS should be venting its frustration over the federal government’s decision to allow more plastic recycling factories.
He said while the Kedah government and, to an extent, the Sungai Petani Municipal Council had vowed not to issue operating licences to plastic recycling factories, Putrajaya wants to allow it.
“(Housing and Local Government Minister) Zuraida Kamaruddin wants to issue licences for recycling. PTAS should be chasing the minister. Only then can local authorities take action.
“Now, you have put the local government in an odd situation.”