Martin Carvalho, The Star 7 Nov 09;
MALACCA: Authorities are probing claims that foreign construction workers building the state Wildlife and National Parks Department centre next to the Tanjung Tuan forest reserve are involved in poaching activities.
Wildlife and National Parks Department deputy director-general Misleah Mohd Basir said immediate investigations would be carried out and action would be taken against the culprits.
“This is the very reason why we are setting up the centre there. This will allow us to carry out round the clock checks at the forest reserve,” she said yesterday.
The project was launched in May this year and is to serve as an interpretative centre and quarters for three wildlife enforcement officers.
The poaching problem was highlighted by Mohd Basir Abdullah who claimed many workers at the RM3mil project have sneaked into the reserve to fish and hunt its dwindling wildlife.
Mohd Basir, 60, who has been advocating total preservation of Tanjung Tuan for the last 20 years, said he was saddened by the lack of enforcement resulting in unabated encroachment in recent years.
“Sometimes, visitors from nearby resorts carry out night spear fishing along the coast,” he said.
He also raised concern over the lack of development guidelines for areas bordering the forest reserve.
“Tanjung Tuan forest reserve used to be much larger but portions of it had been alienated and subsequently sold to private owners.
“My fear is that we will lose this unique natural treasure if nothing is done to control and restrict surrounding development,” he said.
Malaysian Nature Society head of communication Andrew Sebastian said the forest’s unique bio-diversity had come under increasing threat. Owing to its historic links, Tanjung Tuan, also known as Cape Rachado, belongs to Malacca although it is located across the Negri Sembilan border about 15km from Port Dickson.
The area initially covered about 93.1ha of forested area and was gazetted as a forest reserve in 1921.
However, in 1953, only 60.7ha was given total protection when declared as a virgin jungle reserve.
The area was subsequently gazetted as a wildlife reserve and bird sanctuary in 1971.
Besides being home to the oldest lighthouse in the region built by the Portuguese in 1528, Tanjung Tuan is also internationally renown for its annual Raptor Watch Week held to monitor thousands of migratory birds of prey that use the area as a transit point.
