KUALA LUMPUR – The federal government is concerned at the Kelantan government's move to alter the status of environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) in the state, fearing negative implications and how it would affect the policy of targetting to have 50 percent forested land in Peninsular Malaysia in line with the National Physical Plan (NPP).
Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said that it is vital to maintain the status of permanent forest reserves in the state and this ensures that the areas cannot be developed arbitrarily in the future.
He said that his ministry fundamentally disagrees with the state government's inclination to implement proposed changes to the official state development plans for Kelantan.
He said that he has sent a letter to Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob expressing the views and concerns of the federal government on this matter.
"I hope that the Kelantan state government will reconsider the proposal to change the development plan involving environmentally sensitive ares in Kelantan and (work) together with the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry to empower forest management and development, and maintain existing forest areas for the sake of environmental sustainability," he said.
Public voice disregarded: Rimbawatch
On October 21, Rimbawatch, an environmental watchdog, had raised an alarm that the alterations had been proposed in the Kelantan state structure plan, local plan and special area plan.
The draft alterations were released by the state Town and Country Planning Department and will be publicly displayed until November 11, it said. In inspecting these proposed alterations,
RimbaWatch said that it is appalled by the "unprecedented proposal" to remove all environmentally sensitive areas in Kelantan from the plan.
"In an unprecedented move RimbaWatch has never before observed, the draft alterations claim that the removal of ESA classifications from forest reserves in Kelantan’s development plans have already been agreed upon by the Kelantan State Executive Council through a decision made on October 21, 2020," it had said in a statement.
"We express our deepest concern over the secrecy of this decision and complete disregard for public voice or participation in making such a decision."
The NGO had demanded the department as well as the Kelantan Forestry Department to make transparent their reasons for proposing the changes.
Rimbawatch had also called on the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change to intervene to protect the remaining forests of Kelantan.
The NGO's summary of the proposed alterations is as follows:
1. All environmentally sensitive areas are removed from the Kelantan State Structure Plan, Local Plan for Gua Musang, Tanah Merah, Kuala Krai, Pasir Puteh, Machang and Jeli and the Special Area Plan for Lojing. A few areas are retained as “hutan tadahan air” (water catchment forests), while the rest are now blank space on the maps.
2. The ESA Rank 1 classification for Taman Negara has been removed.
3. The ESA Rank 1 and 2 classifications for the forests west of Gua Musang have been removed. This eliminates the little protection that the ESA afforded to the Traditional Territories of Wias Pasik, Gob, Simpor, Tohoi, Depa, Bihai, Angkek, Tapai, Balar, Enching, Hau and Kelaik, all Temiar Orang Asli territory, from development.
4. A new “hutan tadahan air” has been added with the label of “Empangan Lebir” (Lebir Dam), indicating Kelantan’s intention to proceed with the dam project in the future.
5. In Gua Musang and Jeli districts alone, of the 467,440ha of mostly forested land which was in ESA Rank 1 or 2 areas, only 56,143ha have been retained as 'hutan tadahan air', which is a reduction in protection status of 88%. This leaves the remaining 411,297ha now vulnerable to development with few or no restrictions.
Ecology and wildlife endangered
Nik Nazmi today said that the removal of ESA classification from forest reserves in Kelantan’s development plans, will also affect the Central Forest Spine ecological network and the ecosystem balance in Kelantan.
He said the population of the Malayan tiger and other animals in Kelantan, including elephants and tapirs, will also be endangered due to habitat loss, besides increasing human-wildlife conflicts, resulting in crop damage, property destruction, and loss of life.
Uncontrolled deforestation that may follow the declassification could also lead to more severe flood woes as such activity has already resulted in flash floods in Kelantan for over a decade, he said in a statement.
Therefore, the minister said the existing ESAs in Kelantan should be retained in the state’s structure plan, local plan, and special area plan to ensure the preservation and conservation of biological diversity and the sustainability of the environment.
Nik Nazmi said the state government, during its state executive council meeting on Oct 21, has decided that permanent forest reserves, except water catchment areas, will no longer be classified as ESAs.
He said the declassification is still in the draft stage, and the state’s Department of Town and Country Planning (PLANMalaysia) is in the midst of collecting feedback through its Publicity and Public Engagement Programme from October 11 to November 11. – The Vibes, October 27, 2023
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