why lie?

in a big hall. she is the landowner.  the opponent - the developer who is building hundreds of townhouses, commercial blocks, 11 storey apartments right next to her fruit orchard on the hill slope of the village 'behind the island'. yes, in penang. where hills are being flattened every other day. with a speed so astonishing you won't have time to say " ouch" !

the proposed development is higher up the slope .

outside the hall she heard the developer's reps laugh as they looked at her and her eldest girl.

"only 2?" they smirked. they laughed too soon. yes, only 2 complainants came. but these not too intelligent looking reps were to be soon humbled.

the local government council listened as she systematically listed her points. complaints. her anger. irreparable damage to her fruit orchard.

site clearing and hill cutting even before planning permission is granted?

preposterous, the chairperson was annoyed. and rightly so.

she wanted in black and white the right to compensation if anything were to happen to/in her fruit orchard as a result of the developer's works/proposal as a whole.

she wanted details of the retaining wall proposed between her land and the developer's.

she wanted details of the drainage system. the flood mitigation plans. the subterranean water management. the EIA. the pre-emptive measures for hillslope stability.     

she wanted the date the developer will provide all these. no 'next week'. the exact date.                             

because of the illegal rampant site clearing and hill cutting by the developer, her fruit trees are dying. the river is silting and water is flooding her land. the ecology system is disrupted. the fruit trees need insects and other agents of pollination, fertilisation. now no more. the trees do not bear fruit anymore. the traditional Malay village in the vicinity is threatened. the proposed sewage treatment plant will be next to a village house. the socio-cultural system is on the balance. she referred to the numerous cases of hillslope instability as recent as a week ago on the island.

how much do you compensate for the destruction of fruit trees, durian trees, hundreds of years old?

the assembly by then realised she was not just another layman to be easily duped by the 'new' system on the island. by their greed. their ego. but actually their plain stupidity.

the developer lied about the hill cutting before permission by the local council is given.

why lie?

don't they know that they will eventually pay for their dishonesty? sooner or later.  that is the rule of the world. of the order of things. 

do unto others what you wish others to do unto you. it's that simple. but then again, perhaps they do not even understand this. or even heard of it.