Study on illegal sawdust factory in Kg Sg Lembu inconclusive

GEORGE TOWN: A Penang Health Department study in 2015 on whether an illegal sawdust factory in Kampung Sungai Lembu is a risk factor for cancer is inconclusive.
The finding was revealed in the minutes of a September 2015 Central Seberang Perai District Action Meeting and copies of which were distributed to reporters in a press conference today.
According to the minutes, the district health department listed 12 patients suffering from five types of cancer.
These comprise four cases of breast cancer, two cases of lung cancer, two cases of gastro-intestinal tract cancer, two cases of liver cancer, two cases of nasopharynx cancer and a case which eventually was diagnosed as high blood pressure.
“All these patients have never worked at the factory. The location of the factory is also in a remote location and not a main throughway for the residents of Kampung Sungai Lembu,” the minutes said.
Penang Health, Welfare and Caring Society Committee chairman Dr Afif Bahardin said the study showed that the illegal factory was not the cause of the cancer.
“It is,” he said when asked if the study was valid when approached after the press conference.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said his administration was consistent on the issue and environmental matters vis a vis matters of rare earth processing and nuclear power stations.
He said rare earth processing and nuclear power stations were issues of policy, which his government has taken a stand on being against those development.
“The state government has made a policy decision that whatever the safeguards by the Department of Environment (DOE) the state will not agree.
“As far as the rest are concern, on technical issues, we will comply with the recommendations as established by the DOE,” he said in response to accusations the Penang government was practicing double standards.