KUALA LUMPUR – No wrongdoing has been found involving the Musang King durian farm project in Gunung Inas seeing that it has been given the go-ahead from the Kedah government, said the state Forestry Department.
Department director Muhamad Abdullah said records showed that the project has an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) even though investigations are ongoing to ensure it has the approved crop.
“When its EIA is approved, it states the crop species that can be planted. There is no wrongdoing because it has been decided by the state government.
“If the state government approves it, there is no wrongdoing,” he was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia during an event yesterday in Jitra, Kedah.
He added that any land exploration for cultivation in Kedah is carried out with approvals.
He also confirmed that the planting of Musang King in Gunung Inas, Baling has been suspended after the department was handed the stop-work order by the state government in December 2020 and March last year.
However, the plantation owner is allowed to conduct maintenance on trees that are already there.
“According to the EIA, the owner needs to carry out road and drainage maintenance as well as fertilising the crop and removing invasive vegetation.
Meanwhile, the department is discussing with the state government on what types of trees to plant in some bare plots in Gunung Inas to avoid other natural disasters.
On July 13, the Kedah government said it was still waiting for reports from various technical departments investigating the floods and water surge in Baling district on July 4.
Some of the affected villagers have blamed the flash floods and mudfloods on the Musang King plantation.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is also in the midst of gathering information and conducting checks to determine if there was any element of corruption or misconduct with regard to the development of the Musang King durian farm project.
Earlier this month, several areas in Baling were hit by floods after a continuous downpour for three hours, affecting 1,490 residents and claiming three lives. – The Vibes, July 18, 2022
