KUALA LUMPUR – Images of bald patches on Bentong hilltops next to the Karak Highway have triggered concerns about environmental degradation and public safety.
Amid the uproar, the Pahang Forestry Department has carried out checks and found that the contentious plot is privately owned.
Its director Datuk Mohd Hizamri Mohd Yasin told The Vibes the department found the licensee did not commit any offences involving the use of the exit road (jalan pengeluaran) and the licensed area.
However, taking into account several factors as well as public interest, he said, the department has cancelled the timber transferrer licence (Lesen Pemindah – Borang 5).
“The landowner didn’t do anything wrong, and it is his right to clear his land.
“However, he is not allowed to transport felled trees from said land.
“Due to environmental factors and the conditions around the exit road, we decided to cancel the timber transferrer licence. This means the landowner will not be allowed to transport trees out of his land.
“It’s always raining in Bentong now, and we are afraid of untoward incidents.”
He added that the licensee did not encroach on the Lentang Forest Reserve or plots belonging to others.
Meanwhile, the department in a statement said it had approved land-clearing activities to start on July 15, as well as a road permit to pass through the forest reserve and a permit to store timber in a designated area (matau) before being transported.
“Checks by the department also found that the licensee had used 1.6ha of the Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL) land next to his area to store timber. But the Bentong district land office informed us that this licence has expired.
“However, based on a receipt provided by the licensee to the Bentong district forestry office, the licensee had paid to renew the TOL.”
The department said the licensee had complied with the Forest Road Specifications.
“There are only a few things that need improvement, especially bridges and sewers for a temporary river waterway (not a permanent stream) to prevent pollution in this area.
“We have instructed the licensee to take immediate corrective measures and make improvements to maintain the exit roads due to Bentong’s recent wet weather.”
Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia (Peka) president Puan Sri Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil has shared on Facebook a series of videos, one of which showed heavy machinery on site.
She questioned why the Forestry Department would allow heavy machinery and lorries to enter the Bukit Tinggi and Lentang Forest Reserves, which are next to the Karak Highway and the sites of a 2015 landslide.
It is said to be the same area linked to last year’s Sg Kenoi pollution. – The Vibes, September 15, 2021
