Bright side of having Kra canal
FOR more than 300 years, the Thai government has always wanted to cut a canal through the plains of Kra and now the Thais have even started an expensive study to further back their plans, “Thailand banking on the Kra Isthmus canal project” (The Star, Aug 18).
Of course our country and Singapore are worried over this development. Because if it actually comes through, then ports like Penang, Port Klang, PTP and even great Singapore will be a distant memory as a port of call.
Logically why would ships want to pass through a pirate-infested seaway (the Straits of Malacca) when they can even shave off a few days on their way between East Asia and Europe if they used the Kra canal?
But to me, I think it is a good idea for our once-glorious Straits of Malacca which is one of the busiest seaways in the world today.
The amount of sludge and pollutants dumped in it are pretty bad too.
As a child growing up in Malacca and living not too far from the sea, I remember a time when I could go to the beaches of Klebang and have a good time swimming and playing in the water.
Then slowly the water became polluted and sea erosion took place. Now there is not even a proper stretch of sand in Klebang and most of the beaches on the west coast of the peninsula any more.
So when ships ply the straits less frequently some time in the near future, hopefully our beaches will become clean and beautiful once more.
And hopefully my children will be able to experience what I enjoyed as a child.
But the major ports should not fret because when there is less pollution, probably the fish population will rise and then deepsea fishing can start thriving again and ports will definitely be needed then.
MAZIN SIRAJ,
Petaling Jaya.
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