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Pneumonia outbreak: Ministry probing claims of water contamination

GUA MUSANG: The Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources will investigate claims that water pollution is the cause of a pneumonia outbreak among the Orang Asli community in Kampung Kuala Koh here.

Its Deputy Minister Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji said a thorough probe will be carried out to determine whether tainted water sources are behind bacterial infections in the community, which has resulted in several fatalities.

Claims recently emerged that water sources used by the villagers had been contaminated due to nearby iron ore mining activities.

“We have been conducting visits to review all the issues raised by the community today,” Zulpuri Shah said after a visit to the Batek tribe settlement here.

Meanwhile, in Kuala Krai, the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) said it will provide transport facilities to government agency representatives to assist in their investigation of the bacterial outbreak.

“Jakoa is (also) planning to supply raw water to the residents as initial aid following allegations that their water sources have been polluted.

“We hope the disease is not contagious,” Jakoa director-general Prof Dr Juli Edo said when met by reporters after visiting 10 Orang Asli patients at the Kuala Krai Hospital here, on Sunday.

Also present were Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P Waytha Moorthy and Kelantan Pakatan Harapan chairman Senator Datuk Husam Musa.

Juli said the Kuala Koh settlement is home to 196 members of the Batek tribe.

Up to 14 Orang Asli are believed to have died in the ongoing outbreak.

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