Gurmit Singh K.S - The outspoken Malaysian eco-warrior

PETALING JAYA - For most of his life, Gurmit Singh K.S. has dedicated himself to championing the nation's environmental well-being.

Outspoken, candid, and passionate-these are the words most commonly used by his peers to describe Gurmit, who focuses on addressing the root causes of environmental issues rather than merely tackling superficial symptoms.

As the founder of two prominent local environmental organisations-the Malaysian Environmental Protection Society (EPSM) and the Centre for Environment, Technology and Development (CETDEM)-Gurmit has consistently spoken out fearlessly on important issues, never backing down even when his outspokenness landed him in hot water.

"My intention is never to offend, but if calling a spade a spade offends someone, so be it. Issues like the impact of climate change, water stress, land management, unsustainable resource management, and inadequate political commitment continue to persist.

"These problems continue to fester because we hinder the development of viable solutions by sweeping them under the carpet on 'sensitive' grounds," he told Bernama in an exclusive interview recently.

WRITTEN A MEMOIR

At the age of 82, Gurmit has long been the nation’s proverbial town crier on environmental issues. His journey spans decades, transitioning from an electrical engineer and researcher to a human rights advocate and environmentalist-long before ‘going green’ became a popular buzzword.

Gurmit has written his autobiography, titled ‘Memoirs of a Malaysian Eco-Activist’, which was published in early April 2017. The book chronicles his life from childhood as a self-professed bookworm to becoming a vocal human rights and environmental advocate.

Written in his own words, the memoir recounts his experiences growing up as a child of Punjabi parents during the Japanese occupation of Malaya in Penang, and his eventual rise to prominence as one of the most significant human rights and environmental advocates in Malaysia.

Reflecting on the process of writing his book, Gurmit shared that the idea began around 2011 or 2012 when he felt it would be valuable to document his experiences as an environmental activist.

"At that time, I wondered if anyone would even be interested in reading my book. I wrote bits and pieces, put it aside and almost forgot about it.

"By the time I finished writing the book, it was about 2015," he said.

One particularly striking aspect of Gurmit’s memoir is a photograph on the book's cover showing him wearing a gas mask while riding a bicycle with a small black-and-white banner reading ‘World Environment Day 5.6.79 EPSM.’ This image caught readers' attention and became symbolic of his activism.

Recalling his memory on the historical photo, Gurmit said he cycled about 20km from Petaling Jaya, Selangor to Taman Titiwangsa to highlight on the air pollution problem in the city in 1979.

"One of our EPSM exco members drove a car, and we decided to have a race-with me riding a bicycle and wearing a mask I borrowed from a friend who worked with a public health institute.

"At that time, the traffic was so bad that I wore the gas mask to protect myself from the polluted air. I won the race, beating him by about five minutes.

"Then I took this picture, which is significant to me and to those who know me," he said, adding that the car driver was actually an elderly man.

FROM ENGINEER TO ACTIVIST

Born on Nov 3, 1942, and raised in Georgetown, Penang, Gurmit was a prominent student leader in the 1960s and 1970s. During his secondary school years at the Methodist Boys School, he was actively involved in the Scouts and served as head prefect.

After completing his schooling, Gurmit spent about a year and a half teaching before joining the air force as a trainee pilot for six months. However, his British instructor found fault with his coordination, leading to Gurmit being grounded.

This setback led him to the University of Malaya (UM) in 1965, where he pursued a degree in electrical engineering. After graduation, he worked at the Rubber Research Institute (RRI) for about five years before resigning in 1975 to pursue freelance consultancy.

"During my days at Methodist Boys School (MBS), I was active in the Scouts, and during my university years in the 1970s, I led UM's engineering student society. I fought for students' rights within the faculty, the student union, and the UM Graduates Society, which was later renamed the Selangor Graduates Society (SGS).

"In 1973, a member of the society who had just returned from a course in the United Kingdom suggested that we should start addressing environmental issues in Malaysia," Gurmit recalled.

Initially, Gurmit was skeptical, seeing environmental activism as a ‘Western-fed notion.’ He was hesitant to get involved, particularly because organisations like WWF-Malaysia and the Malaysian Nature Society were already established and focused on wildlife and nature conservation.

However, his perspective changed when they learned that the Malaysian government had participated in the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, commonly known as the Stockholm Conference, in 1972. Following this, Minister for Home Affairs and Information Tan Sri Ghazali Shafie decided to introduce new environmental protection legislation, the Environmental Quality Act, in Malaysia.

"This development galvanised us into action, and we decided to form an organisation-EPSM - to address environmental issues. We envisioned EPSM as a national-level group that would campaign for environmental quality and act as a watchdog over government actions," Gurmit said.

ACTIVE IN VOICING ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

Despite his serious and stern appearance, which can sometimes seem a bit intimidating at first glance, the white-bearded Gurmit doesn’t show signs of ageing. Instead, he is very welcoming, and his voice becomes animated whenever he talks about his passion for environmental issues.

Gurmit’s outspoken nature has often made headlines in national news, particularly on issues such as air pollution in the Klang Valley, the rights of indigenous people affected by the Bakun Dam construction in Sarawak, deforestation, and river pollution in Sungai Klang and Penang’s Sungai Juru.

"It wasn’t easy back in those days when we talked about the 'environment.' It was considered a dirty word, especially among bureaucrats, as it was seen as anti-development and even, at one point, as anti-national.

"I’ve often been labelled a troublemaker, but that seems to be the fate of those who boldly speak out on issues that make many people uncomfortable.

"Of course, I always make sure that I do thorough research and reading before speaking or writing. Whenever I'm uncertain about the facts or issues, I choose to refrain from commenting," he said.

Gurmit even recalls a time when the youth wing of a local political party came to protest against him outside his house-though they mistakenly went to the wrong address.

"I mentioned in my book that they came to demonstrate outside my house in Petaling Jaya on a Sunday morning, protesting against me and EPSM for campaigning against the Bakun Dam. But at that time, I wasn’t home; I was in a different place.

"I received many calls from the media asking about the demonstration and rumours that I had been arrested, but that never happened.

"In fact, some people even called my parents in Penang to tell them I’d been arrested. They panicked and called me. I assured them by pointing out, 'I’m answering your call, so obviously I haven’t been arrested’,” he said with a laugh.

BE BOLD

When asked how Gurmit remains so passionate about his cause, even in the face of frequent criticism and ongoing campaigns against the same issues, he responded:

"There have been many successes and failures throughout my journey as an environmental activist. I am extremely proud of my role in nurturing EPSM and CETDEM into strong and vocal environmental groups, although much more needs to be done on the environmental front.

"I’m also happy to have inspired more people to speak up about Malaysian policies on energy, climate change, pollution, and many other issues by serving on various government committees, even though policy paralysis and bureaucratic red tape sometimes thwarted my best efforts," he said.

Gurmit’s prolific activism and dedication to environmentalism have earned him several prestigious honours. In 1993, he was awarded the Langkawi Environmental Award, and in 2003, he was conferred an honorary master’s degree by Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (now known as Universiti Putra Malaysia).

In 2008, he received the Sustainable Consumer Award from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry. In 2018, he was one of the seven recipients of the Merdeka Award in the ‘Environment’ category, in recognition of his contributions to the field.

The Merdeka Award aims to promote thought leadership and innovation, foster a culture of excellence, encourage a global perspective, thereby enhancing Malaysia's standing as a dynamic, competitive 21st Century Global Player in all key sectors from science and technology to the arts.

Established on Aug 27, 2007 through the collaborative efforts of PETRONAS and Shell, The Merdeka Award recognises and rewards excellent individuals and organisations, serving as a beacon for those who have not only contributed to the nation's growth but have also inspired greatness in the people of Malaysia in the categories of Education & Community; Environment; Health, Science and Technology; Outstanding Scholastic Achievement; and Outstanding Contribution to the People of Malaysia.

HOPE FOR MALAYSIA ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Gurmit now lives with his wife, Tan Siew Luang, an organic farming enthusiast, in an environmentally sustainable house in SS2, Petaling Jaya, which also serves as CETDEM's office.

When asked if things have changed since he first began advocating for environmental issues in Malaysia, Gurmit responded:

"Stop corruption-that is the main key. The reason people keep polluting Mother Earth and cutting down trees for development without following proper rules is corruption."

His hope for the future is that Malaysians will consistently care for the environment and ensure that those responsible for environmental issues are held accountable.

"Malaysians should be more assertive about their rights and exercise them positively. You must keep people on their toes and make sure they take environmental issues seriously.

"Changing people’s value systems is very difficult. The least anyone can do-or at least what I try to do-is to change myself. So, I strive to live my life with as small an ecological footprint as possible," he said. - BERNAMA