The 62-year-old licensed cockle collector from Bagan Sungai Buluh (a fishing settlement) in Jeram, off Kuala Selangor said this happened through out the entire season which spanned six months.
"In the past seasons, almost 90% of the harvest was healthy cockles, but that isn't the case anymore these days. The dwindling population and slow growth rate are signs of deteriorating water quality in the cockles' breeding environment. We couldn't harvest anything last year because of the cockles' delayed growth... It took one year and two months for them to reach the size that previously took just seven or eight months," laments Kahar.
It was also reported that there are 20 licensed cockle collectors in Bagan Sungai Buluh, alongside areas in Sekinchan and Bagan Nakhoda Omar, the 40ha site which is part of the Nothern Selangor mudflats that harbour Peninsula Malaysia's main cockle culture area.
"In the past, we could harvest at least 30 sacks of cockles weighing 68KG each in a day. Now our yield are halved to about 16 or 17 sacks," says Kahar.
Poor Selangor!
Calamity comes in all forms. After the cockles disappearing clams which denied Selangor fishermen's assurance of bountiful cockle harvests, the Selangor political crisis took its turn.
What used to be a "smooth-sailing" in Selangor's administration, the boat was rocked by acts of political infighting in PKR which saw the expulsion of it's MB (chief minister) TS Khalid Ibrahim from the party and subsequently, state government.
While the dwindling population of cockles was due to deteriorating water quality, the recent MB crisis was more of self-inflicted crisis by none other, but PKR and it's leaders, when they invented a grand design (Kajang Move) to get rid of Khalid.
Under normal circumstances, when there is a beginning, there would be an ending..
Every problem, there would be its solution.
Thank God the Selangor MB (chief minister) crisis has finally (at least, for the time-being) been resolved.
PKR deputy president Azmin Ali has already been sworn in as Selangor 15th MB, replacing his predecessor and former party comrade, TS Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.
Appalled? No, I'm not.
With Azmin's appointment, my wildest prediction of who finally get the MB slot becoming reality.
Now, how different can Azmin to his predecessor Khalid?
Time will tell.
What I was curious to know is the report in a mainstream daily that there was an attempt by certain quarters in PKR to persuade Khalid to stay on as MB when they (several leaders of PKR) realized that Dr Wan Azizah (DS Anwar's wife) was not selected by the Selangor Ruler for the post.
It was reported that the said attempt was made by PKR strongman, but failed.
Khalid, who was shown the exit door by his former party (PKR) was reported as not being interested with the offer and said that the seat (MB) is no longer under his jurisdiction, but the palace.
If the report is true, rise the following questions -
- Who in PKR could have done that?
- Under whose order?
- What's the unwritten here?
- That they (several leaders in PKR) are not 100% behind Azmin?
How serious the split in PKR?
However, with Azmin being selected and appointed to MB by the Selangor Ruler, at least, it puts an end to a protracted crisis which to a certain extent has caused rift, splits/divisions and confusion in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) component parties of PKR, DAP and PAS.
If PKR and DS Anwar Ibrahim in particular, refused to learn the expensive lesson out of the Kajang Move, then they don't have any other people to blame, but themselves, should there be a serious erosion of support.
A recurrence of a crisis as serious as the Selangor MB crisis, could just be suicidal to PR in the 14th general election (GE14).
Whether we like it or not, Anwar's failure to install his wife, Dr Wan Azizah, who is also the party president to the post of Selangor MB samples a clear "defeat" on his part.
Surely Anwar and/or his several party leaders and die-hard supporters could not accept the fact that the Kajang Move was a sheer blunder.
Even the Selangor Ruler acknowledged, when HRH Sultan Sarafuddin slammed PKR for removing Khalid. Selangor Ruler slams PKR for Khalid's removal
"PKR continued with their agenda even during the month of Ramadan, hurling insults and criticisms until they succeeded in removing Khalid as menteri besar," the Sultan said at the swearing-in ceremony of new state executive councilors at Istana Alam Shah.
The Sultan has also used his speech to pounce PR when he said Khalid had executed the duties of a menteri besar "successfully and perfectly" and that the crisis (leadership) was precipitated by PR/PKR plans to oust Khalid by engineering the Kajang by-election to pave the way for DS Anwar to become the Selangor MB. Khalid was a wronged man, says Sultan of Selangor in surprising speech
With Anwar's political fate uncertain following the pending verdict on his appeal of a sodomy conviction, it makes people wonder as to how he could overcome such a setback.
People also wonder how he could stimulate the force together, putting their act together, let alone bringing the coalition together again.
To make matter worst, The Star Online reported that he was quizzed over allegedly seditious remarks in his 2011 speech.
The new MB Azmin looks principled when he was reported of using his own car, a black Toyota Camry for the swearing-in ceremony the next morning though he was informed that he could use the official MB car.
Here, he has demonstrated his ability in separating the official from the private.
Selangor people are anxious to see how he would perform. He has since said that he intends to be a MB who works in "short sleeves and long pants".
Nevertheless, some quarters are quite concerned with his so-called image problem and people are also curious to find out if he would take necessary measure to correct the perception.
To me, his toughest challenge would still be to match the clean record set by his predecessor, Khalid Ibrahim.Never mind the barking duo (Rafizi Ramli and Tian Chua) during the crucial party meeting the night before Azmin was sworn in. People say,"barking dogs don't bite".
No outpouring of congratulations from PKR and the DAP for the new MB?
Well, its more than understood. They are still unhappy that their most preferred candidate Dr Wan Azizah was not selected (not even interviewed) despite enjoying the majority support from the Selangor lawmakers.
There is growing perception among the average Malays that the DAP are the instigator. Their role and actions throughout the Selangor MB crisis has sent the wrong signals. Signals like challenging the palace (the Sultan) and this don't go down well with them.
My only hope is, there would be no further "surprises" by PKR and/or its leaders in Selangor and I wish this would be my last article about the crisis. Life must go on in Selangor.
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