The New Straits Times, November 7, 1999
THE recent uproar over the toxic cache of potassium cyanide being stored in a Seberang Prai godown in Penang was a resurrection.
Five years ago, Malaysians were shocked by the "discovery" of a huge quantity of the toxic substance being casually and irresponsibly dumped in one of Malaysia's well-known resort areas.
Potassium cyanide, with its "super toxic" properties, could have killed in a matter of just minutes; and in millions given the quantity found - no less than 41 drums of the deadly substance.
Despite the grievous nature of the crime of "endangering the health and safety of the public", the guilty party of two was jailed for a day - later increased to a week - and fined several thousand ringgit.
Meanwhile, more than 10,000 fish from a nearby fish farm were reported dead. Miraculously, no human life was lost.
At about the same time, in 1995, the Tokyo subway lethal nerve gas poisoning took place and concern about what deadly poisons can do increased tremendously among Malaysians.
People began reporting drums unattended in public areas. The National Poison Centre assisted in identifying what is poisonous and what is not.
Incidents like that in Pangkor and other places have heightened our awareness that highly toxic substances are not to be taken lightly.
We thought we had learnt our lessons well and vowed it would not happen again.
But this is not to be judging by the many expressions of shock surrounding the recent incident when the same drums of cyanide from Pangkor were "rediscovered" in Penang.
That the Chief Minister of Penang too has expressed shock makes one wonder how much protection the lay person can expect. Similar incidents can endanger their health and safety.
It is amazing to note how substances like cyanide can be left unattended away from the public eye for so long. How many more of such cases are there, waiting to be discovered?
Despite the court order to send the toxic chemical to the scheduled waste management plant in Bukit Nanas, the guilty party could still find room to procrastinate just because a deadline to do so was not given.
The mere excuse that one cannot afford the fees required to properly dispose of the substance is a little hard to swallow in contrast to the real danger that the company is courting by keeping the poisons untreated under its roof.
Moreover, one would have thought that a company responsible enough to deal with substances like cyanide would be equally responsible in sourcing the much needed finances to comply with the court order, if not the environmental legislation.
It is apparent that the company failed to understand the risks it had subjected itself, its employees and the public. There can be no excuse whatsoever for this.
The Department of Environment is correct in saying "the longer they store (the chemicals), the more dangerous it is. We do not want to take the risk". That is why it has taken steps to have the chemicals removed to Bukit Nanas.
Furthermore, the hazardous chemicals were moved and stored untreated in a godown near the more densely populated township of Seberang Prai.
There must be even greater assertiveness, accountability and transparency when it comes to situations where public health and safety are put at risk.
We also need better means of toxico-vigilance and preventive education among all parties. Things can no longer be swept under the carpet or, as in this case, stored in a godown and wishing they would at some point go away.
Should anything go wrong - which is not too difficult to imagine for substances like cyanide, given the condition and length of time it was kept - who would then bear the final burden, economic or otherwise? The people, of course, particularly those in Seberang Prai in the latest incident.
We can ill-afford to wait for such calamities to strike and must protect public health and safety at any cost.
