Malaysia: 'Less than 1pc of forests illegally logged'

New Straits Times 20 May 13;

IPOH: The problem of illegal logging in the peninsula is under control, said Forestry Department director-general (peninsula) Professor Datuk Dr Abd Rahman Abd Rahim.

Abd Rahman said that of the 5.6 million hectares of forests in the country, less than one per cent was being illegally logged.

He said people tend to push the blame of illegal logging on the lack of enforcement by the department.

"Logging that is being carried out in government reserve land and privately owned land are not under our jurisdiction."

Asked on complaints of illegal logging in Cameron Highlands, Abd Rahman said the issue was best answered by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry.

Abd Rahman was reacting to a call by the Regional Environmental Awareness Cameron Highlands (REACH), a community-based organisation formed by a group of residents in Cameron Highlands, for Datuk Seri G. Palanivel, who is their newly elected member of parliament, to solve critical pollution issues in the constituency.

Its president, R. Ramakrishnan, said that uncontrolled land clearing carried out in several forest reserve areas was so severe that it was causing river pollution in Cameron Highlands.

In Kuala Lumpur, Palanivel said destruction of forests and hillslopes, mainly in Cameron Highlands, should be stopped.

Palanivel, who is also natural resources and environment minister, said that there was rampant and careless destruction of forests, not only in Cameron Highlands, but also in other areas, including Sabah and Sarawak.

He said he would set up a special team from his ministry to work together with state governments to look into the matter.

"The ministry already has some plans in line and it is my duty to implement them as well as initiate further action."