With the current wet spell, some 2,000 villagers in Kampung Mengkuang Titi and Kampung Mengkuang in Bukit Mertajam find themselves at the mercy of mother nature following deforestation and illegal logging on a hill near the Mengkuang Dam.

Penanti assemblyman Dr Norlela Ariffin, who raised the alarm, warned that the barren patches on the site could also contribute to water pollution and flooding, with houses facing the risk being inundated with mud flow.