KUALA LUMPUR – A non-governmental organisation (NGO) advocating a balanced approach to development and environmental sustainability has taken the Pahang Forestry Department to task for not being transparent to the public about the state’s forest condition and urged them to do so.
The Sustainable Malaysia Association today also called for better logging activity management by the Pahang authorities, especially in areas such as permanent forest reserves.
Its committee member Nor Hashimah Ishak pointed out that there have been a number of controversies surrounding logging cases in the forests of Bentong last month, but these were only met by denials from the department, leading to public confusion.
She noted that signboards with details of deforestation permits were spotted, showing the affordable housing developments were approved on some forest lands.
Sustainable Malaysia also found that there had been 68 forest-related illegal activities from January to November last year according to the department’s own records.
“The forestry department has to come clean with their data so that the public is informed of the actual condition of the forest area in Bentong, whether it is under threat of deforestation or not,” she said in a statement today.
Stressing that the deforestation situation has gone out of hand, Nor Hashima highlighted some controversies related to this matter, including illegal durian plantations in what should be a protected forest.
“There was also the controversy involving illegal durian plantations at Batu Talam permanent forest reserve that was taking place for decades under the nose of Pahang Forestry Department,” she said.
“Not to mention the deforestation in the vicinity of Tasik Chini in 2019 that has called into question the state forestry department’s effort in protecting the natural ecology and preventing the likelihood of the revocation of the site’s Unesco Biosphere Reserve status gained in 2009.
“These incidents suggest that deforestation in Pahang is widespread and uncontrollable,” she said.
Last month, pictures and videos revealing deforestation and the presence of heavy machinery on-site surfaced online involving suspected logging in Bentong.
Expressing concern, Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia president Puan Sri Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil has called on the Forestry Department to explain on how they had allowed the machinery and lorries to enter the Bukit Tinggi and Lentang Forest Reserves which were not only located next to the Karak Highway but was also a landslide site back in 2015.
Additionally, the floods that swept through the district in December also gave rise to worries about extensive logging, forest clearing at steep hills and lack of soil erosion controls.
The Global Environmental Centre (GEC) claimed that between December 17 and 19 last year, not much of the forest was left intact to slow the massive flow of water, soil, logs and forest debris that washed downstream rapidly. This led to devastation in Karak, Bentong, and surrounding villages and townships, it said
“The muddy water rose so rapidly that many houses were submerged without warning and many were badly damaged as a result of the logs and other debris.
“Logs were also jammed under bridges, blocking the rivers and forcing the water and mud to overflow into the surrounding areas, causing further damage,” said GEC. – The Vibes, January 30, 2022
.jpeg)
