Simon Khoo The Star 9 Oct 12;
CAMERON HIGHLANDS: Rampant land clearing is being carried out in several forest reserve areas here, according to nearby residents.
Responding to their complaints, the District Office conducted a raid and seized heavy machinery, including backhoes and excavators.
Residents said tree-felling was especially rampant in the last four months.
K. Rengasamy, 58, said: “From what I observed, some 12ha have been cleared.”
Another resident Oh Peng, 58, said the felling of trees had affected water supply to houses downstream.
R. Subramaniam, 51, feared that the exposed slopes would suffer from erosion during bad weather.
Tanah Rata assemblyman Datuk Ho Yip Kap said land clearing was rampant, but he did not know if it was illegal.
He was, however, worried about the consequences.
“With the rainy season approaching, we do not want landslides and rivers silting up,” he said.
Cameron Highlands MP Datuk S.K. Devamany said illegal land-clearing was rampant in the constituency, and all parties should meet and come up with strategies to address the situation.
In an immediate response, Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said he had instructed Cameron Highlands' district officer to check on the claims.
“If it is true (that land in forest reserve areas are being cleared), I want the relevant authorities to resolve the matter as soon as possible,” he said.
District officer Datuk Ahmad Daud said a site in Blue Vallley was raided three weeks ago and heavy machinery was seized.
He added: “The culprits carry out their work at night, and we are short of manpower. They clear land deep inside the forest reserve, and when our officers reach the site, they have long gone.”
Ahmad said some areas of the forest reserve were under the Foresrty Department's jurisdiction, adding that “we will act if illegal activities are detected on state land”.
Regional Environmental Association Cameron Highlands president R. Ramakrishnan said he had submitted a letter to Adnan, complaining about the land clearing on Aug 13, and to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. He believed that most of the clearings were illegal.
Even if permits had been issued in some cases, the conditions were not adhered to in accordance with the Land Conservation Act 1960, he said.
Ramakrishnan claimed that besides Blue Valley, illegal land clearing activities were also happening in Mensun Valley, Brinchang, Tanah Rata and Kampung Taman Sedia.
Camerons already affected by land clearing: Malaysian Nature Society
The Star 9 Oct 12;
PETALING JAYA: Land clearing activity will bring a long-term blow to the environment, said the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS).
Its head of communications Andrew Sebastian said massive land clearing in forest areas was hastening the degradation of the country's biodiversity.
“Forests play an immediate service to the area by providing oxygen and clean water. When it is cleared for agriculture or development, its natural surrounding will be changed permanently,” Sebastian said.
Among the effects of land clearing were soil erosion, deteriorating river and water quality and loss of flora, he said.
“It would also cost more to produce and transport clean water and to produce electricity as sediment in the water would affect the power turbines,” he said.
“MNS has recorded micro climatic changes in the area due to continued earthworks. The overall temperature in the highlands has increased. There are also more mosquitoes, which naturally do not inhabit highland areas,” Sebastian noted.
In August 2011, seven people were killed and homes destroyed in a landslide in the orang asli settlement in Kampung Sungai Ruil in Cameron Highlands.
Authorities said that land clearing and earth works near the settlement for a township development could have contributed to the disaster.
Last Thursday, Regional Environmental Association Cameron Highlands president R. Ramakrishnan sent an open letter to the press, highlighting the unabated land clearing activity that is still going on.
“It has now reached the heart of Tanah Rata bordering the forestry department, near the army camp, local council building, golf course, behind the hospital, behind Mardi and near Strawberry Park Resort,” said Ramakrishnan.
