Many people would come to spend their time for picnics and to swim in the waterfall pool, which became known as Pak Lah’s Waterfall because Abdullah used to frequent the area in his childhood.

Mohamad Ishak Ismail, 58, who has lived in the vicinity for the past 35 years, said conditions changed drastically after the surrounding land was privatised.

The water quality dropped gradually after development took place next to the water source.

He was surprised that no effort had been made to conserve the place even though it was one of the few waterfalls left in the state.

“It is sad to see the waterfall in this current state as no one cares about it. The place used to be very beautiful, families came to spend time together and the water could flow freely,” he told Bernama.

“I wonder how such a development could be approved when it is located next to a water source,” he said.

Several high-rise high-density projects are under construction next to the waterfall, all with the approval of the Penang Island City Council.

In 2013, the council and the Drainage and Irrigation Department had both promised to oversee the location and to beautify it following a landslide.

However, the government’s efforts did not seem to have been kept up. The site is now filled with rubbish and the facilities built have been abandoned completely.

Not only has the waterfall turned into a dump site, locals were also worried that the area has been taken over by foreigners and become a haven for drug addicts as it was isolated from the public.

Siti Salimah Kassim, 44, said that people were scared to go to the waterfall because of the presence of too many foreigners living nearby.

“We have no idea if they are in the country legally or not; sometimes we see them carrying children and babies. All we know is that they might be working as construction workers,” she said.

Salimah also said that she feared the area had turned into a drug spot especially for those who sniff glue.

“My son once told me that he saw several tins of glue on top of the waterfall. I have prohibited him from going there any more. I’m afraid for his safety.

“I wish the local council and other local authorities could do something to prevent unwanted incidents to occur in the neighbourhood,” she said.

The other main protected waterfall is at the Botanical Gardens while others have either dried up or become polluted.

-BERNAMA