Malaysia: 'Save Camerons, enforce Land Conservation Act'

New Straits Times 3 Jun 13;

IPOH: A group of environmental activists have urged the Federal Government to enforce the Land Conservation Act 1960 to curb the increasing environmental degradation in Cameron Highlands.
The Regional Environmental Awareness of Cameron Highlands (REACH) said the time had come for the federal authorities to clamp down on illegal land clearing in the highlands.

President R. Ramakrishnan said the rampant clearing at the highlands was being carried out right under the noses of the local and state authorities.

"But nothing has been done to stop the ongoing destruction. There was a slowdown in land and forest clearing activities in the early part of the last decade but things have started to pick in the last few years.

"In fact, the pace has quickened as though to catch up with the lost years when hill clearing was temporarily disallowed after the Blue Valley incident."
Ramakrishnan was referring to the massive land clearing in Blue Valley, which resulted in three lush green hills being defaced, after clearing works were carried out with heavy machinery by a vegetable farm operator.

The incident, which took place between 2002 and early 2003, made headlines with scores of parties, including then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad condemning the act and demanding immediate action against the culprit.