Stormy time in Silver State

The light piper plane being taken away following the completion of investigations at the crash site in Jalan Sultan Nazrin Shah, Ipoh. — Filepics

THE year 2022 started off rough for Perak with heavy rains bringing storms, landslides and floods.

There were also tragedies in the form of plane and helicopter crashes.

Meanwhile, many development projects to uplift the state’s economy are in proposal stage, including agriculture and infrastructure projects.

On the political front, Perak made history when it became the first to form a unity government comprising Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional following the 15th General Election (GE15).

It was also a first for the state when its Tambun MP, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, went on to be Prime Minister.

Devastating downpours

Around 300 families in Ipoh were affected when a freak storm wreaked havoc and damaged their homes.

A landspout, which is a form of tornado, blew off the roofs of many houses, and brought down electrical poles and trees.

Among the affected areas were Kampung Tawas, Taman Tasek Damai, Taman Desa Seri Chepor and Kampung Seri Klebang Tambahan.

The incident proved particularly tough for the Chinese community as the landspout hit a few days before the Chinese New Year. Fortunately, there were no casualties.

Flash flood was the other natural disaster that impacted Perak folk in the districts of Manjung, Hilir Perak, Larut, Matang and Selama, Perak Tengah, Muallim, Batang Padang and Kinta.

Manjung was one of the worst-hit districts, especially Kampung Padang Serai, Beruas, where about 180 people were forced to seek temporary shelter.

The state identified 76 flood hotspots, mostly in low-lying areas, where measures such as deepening and repairing rivers and maintaining catchment ponds were taken.

In two separate incidents at the Batu Berangkai waterfall in Kampar, three people, including a 16-year-old boy, lost their lives.

In February, Muhammad Amirul Hafidz Ma’asor from Sungai Ayer Tawar, Selangor and Muhammad Fikri Adam Azmi, both 20, drowned during a picnic.

Then in September, Lukman Hakim from Batu Gajah, drowned while playing in the water.

On May 15, heavy rain swept away two hikers at Gunung Suku in Simpang Pulai.

The two had been part of a group of 29 hikers. Other members of the group made it safely to the foot of the hill.

Accidents and mishaps

In March, two men were buried under rubble in a rockfall incident at a quarry in Keramat Pulai, Simpang Pulai.

The deceased were identified as quarry workers Itam Lasoh, 43, and Kheow Loo Siew Soon, 49, whose skeletal remains were found in September.

Two other men were injured in the incident.

There were also three aircraft-related accidents this year in August, September and October.

On Aug 1, a light aircraft crashed near Jalan Sultan Nazrin Shah, Ipoh killing 52-year-old flight instructor and retired fighter pilot Mejar (R) Fajim Juffa Mustafa Kamal, from Semenyih, Selangor.

Fellow flight instructor Muhammad Din Fikri Zainal, from Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, escaped with injuries.

They were reported to have departed from a nearby flight training school before the incident occurred.

On Sept 11, a helicopter with a single pilot on board crashed at the Chikus Forest Reserve in Bidor.

Pilot Tsz Kin Richard Chan, 58, died from serious head injuries.

The helicopter had taken off from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang (Selangor) at 11.37am for a private flight and was scheduled to land at the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport in Ipoh at 12.37pm.

In October, a helicopter with six Kinta District Health Department staff members who were heading for Tanjung Rambutan, Ipoh, from Kampung Gawin, Gua Musang, crashed near Brinchang, Cameron Highlands.

All six, including the pilot, survived the crash but suffered injuries. They were part of the Flying Doctor Unit.

Development issuesOn Nov 21, Kota Tampan assemblyman Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad was reappointed Mentri Besar following the 15th General Election, leading a state executive council line-up comprising representatives from Umno, PKR, DAP and Amanah.

Earlier in September, Saarani said the rare earth mining project at Mukim Kenering, in Gerik, Hulu Perak, would begin, having received approval from the Department of Environment and Drainage and Irrigation Department.

The pilot project, first revealed in May, is a new source of income for Perak covering 2,161ha land owned by Perak Mentri Besar Inc, Gerik District Council, Felcra Bhd and the State Agricultural Development Corporation (SADC).

In June, Saarani launched the 2030 Perak Sejahtera Plan, which is aimed at developing the state.

Its agenda includes boosting food security and digital economy, using data-driven decision-making, promoting a Malaysian Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) corridor, sustainable mining and efficient governing of state-owned projects.

In May, the state government received a proposal to build a highway from Gopeng to Kuala Kangsar that would bypass the Menora Tunnel on the North-South Expressway as a way to reduce accidents and ease traffic congestion.

The state government supports the private sector project involving a 64km route from Gopeng exit to Siputeh linked to Kuala Kangsar.

There have been numerous accidents, some fatal, along the stretches near the tunnel on both the northbound and southbound stretches.

On May 11, an accident at KM245.2 of the North-South Expressway northbound near Kuala Kangsar left five Universiti Sultan Azlan Shah students dead when their car burst into flames after an accident involving two other lorries.

The families of the crash victims each received a RM1,000 donation from Saarani.

In May, several areas in the state faced domestic waste collection issue as the appointed concessionaire failed to do its job.

Rubbish was not collected according to schedule, leading to public discontent.

The root of the issue was later identified as lack of manpower because some workers had left for jobs in other sectors when more non-essential industries were allowed to resume operations under the National Recovery Plan.

Saarani had in June said the concessionaire’s contract would not be continued and the respective local governments that employed its services would have to manage the domestic waste like before, using their own workers or outsource to another contractor.

Ipoh matters

The Perak Forestry Department had in June tried to impose a fee for hikers at the popular Bukit Kledang trail that met with a public backlash.

Although enforcement was postponed, the department later announced seasonal passes starting January next year for hikers to carry out recreational activities.

Malaysians would be charged between RM10 and RM200 while foreigners would be charged RM400 to RM800 with a processing fee of RM20.

In August, Ipoh mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin said a private company was studying a proposed Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART) system suitable for the city by January.

This was following concerns from the public that the light rail transit (LRT) system stated in the Ipoh City Local Plan Draft 2035 would be too costly.

The ART system is known as a rail-less guided transport system similar to the Iskandar Malaysia Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Johor.

Passing of personalities

On Sept 15, former MIC president Tun S. Samy Vellu passed away at the age of 86.

The long-time Sungai Siput MP from 1974 to 2008, served as works minister from 1983 to 1989 and again from 1995 to 2008.

He was also the longest serving MIC president after holding the position for 31 years from 1979 to 2010.

At the end of October, educationist and national-level Tokoh Guru Datuk Seri Dr NS Selvamany who hailed from Ipoh was honoured with a road named after him in the city.

Situated off Jalan Sultan Nazrin Shah, the road sign was put up by Ipoh City Council on Oct 29, which coincided with his third death anniversary.

Selvamany, a former teacher of SM Anderson in Ipoh and former schoolmate of the late Sultan Azlan Shah, passed away in 2019 at the age of 93.