theSun | THURSDAY MAY 28 2009 15

INTERVIEWS VIEWS

The rape of our hills

ous parts of the body in a short
time. Others survive for a few
years. The question is whether
one has to die earlier because of
cancer. No. There is a Chinese
saying “Sickness comes through
the mouth”. Food consumption
has a strong linkage with can-
cer, apart from smoking and
alcohol. Studies say we should
only consume 20% acidic food
and 80% alkaline food. I would
propose that everyone follow
this formula. You need to un-
derstand what they are. Reduce
meat consumption because all
meat is acidic and dairy prod-
ucts and eggs as well. Eat more
vegetables, fruits and grains.
What is healthy living?
My family and I believe that an
important path to good health
is via healthy eating habits. We
also believe consuming vegetar-
ian or organic food and fasting
are some ways for healthy living
because we can see the differ-
ence in our lives. We are healthy
and have not taken medicine
since 2004. My eight-year-old
son has to date only gone to a
clinic once; when he was one-
year-old.
A healthy body makes a
healthy mind because it helps
prevent physical and mental
stress.
You have to respect life. If
you are a cancer patient and
you want to live longer, you
have to respect life without
your favourite foods. In fact, it
is not for cancer alone but for
all diseases.
People should remember
that changes take place gradu-
ally and it is very important to
start now. Don’t wait till it’s too
late because change doesn’t take
place overnight. Change your
menu to suit your pace and food
preference.
Research has shown that
over 60% of those above 40 have
at least one chronic medical
problem that requires treat-
ment and by 60, at least 60%
are on regular medication. It is
not about long life; it is about
healthy life.
But organic food is not
cheap. What do you reckon
the government should do?
I think the government should
help organic farmers through the
organic farming scheme under
the Agriculture and Agro-based
Industry Ministry. Then people
will feel more encouraged to
consume organic food. It will
also encourage more organic
farming. Mass production will
bring prices down.
Does detoxification help?
Yes, it does. Toxic substances
are everywhere – in the food,
water and air. Our body and
bacteria in the intestines also
produce toxins. Alkaline food
helps to detoxify the body. Fast-
ing facilitates detoxification to
achieve physical and mental
health. Occasional fasting is
effective in staying healthy and
reducing weight.
In the late 1970s, I used to
have anus itchiness and for
over 20 years I took medicine
for it. After I changed my diet,
the itchiness disappeared within
three months. It was amazing.
Is conventional medicine
necessary if food can prevent
diseases?
I am not saying it is unnecessary
but you can avoid it whenever
possible. Medical expenses are
always a burden and the bills
are escalating. Due to financial
difficulties, some do not even go
to the clinic for a check up. They
instead rely on pain killers, self-
medication or home remedies.
People hardly think about
changing their diet to prevent
sickness and stay fit. The gov-
ernment and many health-care
organisations have been pro-
moting healthy lifestyle but how
many take heed. Investing in
health food to prevent diseases
or sickness is worthwhile. We
should regard health as No.1
on the scale of importance. It
is natural to think money is
more important as it meets our
material needs but with age, we
gradually realise that money is
not everything. While money
can pay for medical treatment
and services, it does not guaran-
tee good health. In any case, we
should give ourselves a chance
to test the power of natural diet.
THOUSANDS of people, locals Residents groups, howev- of a dangerous hill slope project which
and visitors alike, have felt their er, have gone even further in should not have been approved at by
hearts sink while travelling along pressurising the government MPPP,” it said.
the slow undulating roads that – from conducting vigorous In September last year, the Penang
pass through the idyllic Batu petition campaigns to hold- Island Municipal Council (MPPP) issued
Ferringhi and Tanjong Bungah ing boisterous protests with stop-work orders against two develop-
tourism belts, over the past clanging pots and pans. ers, GLM Property Development Bhd and
couple of years. In the most recent de- Taman Ratu Sdn Bhd, who were involved
Driving past the area today, velopment, two residents in the hill-slope development above Chee
one cannot help but cringe at TheNutmeg associations submitted a Seng Gardens. Just two months before,
the sight of monstrous, seem- memorandum to the state five projects along this same stretch of
ingly endless scars that have Verses government, asking for slopes were also briefly issued stop-work
been made on what was once by Himanshu Bhatt steep hill-slope projects to orders by the MPPP.
a rolling, green range of hills. be banned or restricted. The Another worry – especially in light of
Entire stretches of forests have memorandum highlighted the the hill-slope crisis that hit Bukit Antara-
been decimated for a string of high-rise Bolton Surin project in Chee Seng Gardens, bangsa in Selangor late last year – is the
and luxury residential projects on steep raising numerous instances of perceived reported removal of excavated soil and
hill slopes overlooking the sea. non-compliance by the developer. rock from hill slopes without the supervi-
The situation has gotten so ugly that Prepared by the Tanjong Bungah sion of the MPPP.
residents and tourism bodies have gone Residents’ Association and the Chee “Since the land development work
up in arms over the blatant devastation of Seng Gardens Action Committee against began in 2008, we have seen hundreds
what was once one of the most pleasant Dangerous Hill Slope Development, the of lorry loads exiting the construction site
natural thoroughfares in Penang. sizeable document was handed over to of Bolton Surin, carrying excavated soil
“We are very worried,” said Associa- state executive councillor Phee Boon Poh and rocks away from the construction site
tion of Tourism Attractions Penang (ATAP) at the state assembly late last month. everyday,” the memorandum said.
chairman Eddy Low. “We find it hard to Most importantly, the memorandum In fact, the extraction of minerals from
explain to tourists why we are doing this. called for a state-wide ban on all devel- the site was apparently viewed by Phee
This should not be part of our state’s opment in Class III (between 26° and 35° himself during a site visit to Bolton Surin
behaviour.” gradient) and Class IV (above 35° gradient) on April 9.
Stressing that it “stuck out like a sore slopes. Class IV is defined by the Science, The situation may seem legally difficult
thumb”, Low and his colleagues have Technology and Environment Ministry as for the state government, since all the
asked the state authorities to come up having “extreme geotechnical constraints” projects were approved under the previ-
with urgent remedial measures against for any development projects. ous Barisan Nasional administration.
hill-scarring by development projects. What the residents are alarmed about But for many Penangites, there should
Indeed, the industry has received is the safety of present and future popula- never be any compromise. The onus, they
numerous complaints from visitors and tions who will obviously be affected by say, is still on the present government, to
participants of the “Malaysia My 2nd the unbridled dangerous development. make a stand, to show its commitment
Home” (MM2H) programme that much Ongoing land-clearing, blasting and land for our forests and people, and ban all
of the stretch’s natural allure had been development works are hardly supervised future projects on Class III and IV slopes
compromised. by the municipal council, raising concerns in the state.
Most notably, ATAP questioned how about the safety of hill slopes in Tanjong
the projects were approved in the first Bungah, they said in the memorandum.
place – even though they were on slopes “The memorandum shows that the Himanshu is Penang bureau chief. Com-
that rose sharply from the main road. Bolton Surin project is a classic example ment: letters@thesundaily.com
letters
letters@thesundaily.com
Moderation in all things
I REFER to “Education and enforce- where the drinker knows his limit For instance, an obsessive
ment, not total ban, the answer: and therefore should not pose too penchant for pasta, fried foods and
Khir” (May 26). The suggestion much of a threat to himself and such may add to the body excess
of former Selangor Mentri Besar society. adipose tissue and its attendant
Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo that In the case of wine there is the health problems.
education and enforcement rather so-called French paradox where it A fondness for sweet things
than a total ban on alcohol is an has been observed that although may lead to diabetes, and even
enlightened one. the diet of the French (who con- an addiction to sex, as the Tao-
But his assertion that “alcohol sume wine regularly) is relatively ists aver, may debilitate the body
is not good for health” perhaps rich in saturated fats, they yet of the male due to the loss of
Chrysler needs some qualification. No suffer a relatively low incidence seminal fluid which is essential for
faces doubt, the evidence that alcohol of coronary heart disease. This is longevity.
consumption (especially exces- thought to be due to the resvera- So, self-control should be the
D-Day as sive or its long-term effects) trol that is in the skin of red grapes guiding principle to avoid a life of
GM nears would eventually lead to cirrhosis used in the making of red wine. dissipation. Inscribed on the tem-
bankruptcy of the liver, irreversible damage But, at the end of the day, it re- ple of Apollo at Delphi is a maxim
to the brain cells, foetal alcohol ally boils down to the question of ascribed to the Seven Wise Men.
pg 17 syndrome, insolvency, etc is indis- being moderate in everything that It says: “Nothing in excess.” I
putable, but many would disagree we do as over-zealousness and will drink to that.
that the same could be said for over-indulgence in the pleasures
mild and moderate consumption of life can be detrimental to the Sylvester Goh
of alcohol (or the occasional tipple) mind, body and spirit. Petaling Jaya

What next for Sri Lanka?

I REFER to “An end to Sri Lan-
ka’s nightmare” (May 27) by Eric
Margolis. I wish to congratulate
him and theSun for publishing a
fair and balanced assessment of
the Sri Lankan nightmare facing
the world.
Now that this miserable war
is over, we all hope that there will
be peace at last in that beautiful
former Pearl of the East. But real
peace is hanging in the balance as
about 300,000 displaced people
live under deplorable conditions in
makeshift camps administered by
the Sri Lankan military. The UN has
described the civil war as a “blood
bath” where about 100,000 mostly
Tamil civilians were killed.
Dr Lim: Occasional The bitterness, the misery and
fasting is helpful the inhuman acts committed by
both sides will take long to be for-
given and will not be easily forgot-
ten. The healing process will take
time but there must be immediate
reconciliation for the wounds of
war to heal soon.
National reconciliation must
take place as a matter of urgency
to reduce the suffering and to
secure real lasting peace and to
prevent a revival of hostilities in
the near future. This will depend
on how quickly and genuinely the
Sri Lankan government moves
to resettle and rehabilitate the
thousands of displaced persons
and how fast the divided and dis-
seminated Tamil families can be
mercifully united.
The world is watching the con-
duct of the Sri Lankan government
in restoring peace and in removing
the very causes of this wasteful
civil war.
The Sri Lankan government
could now show it does not
tolerate inhuman treatment by
agreeing to set up a War Crimes
Tribunal and a Truth and Reconcili-
ation Commission.
Most importantly it has to
immediately put in place policy
measures to provide fair treat-
ment to the Tamil minority in Sri
Lanka that has felt persecuted for
so long.
Then only will we be confident
that there will be permanent peace
and progress in that sad country.
Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam
Petaling Jaya