Malaysia: Cameron Highlands - Unauthorised land clearing caused deadly disasters, says Muhyiddin

The Star 10 nov 14;

PUTRAJAYA: The flash floods and landslides in Cameron Highlands, which have claimed five lives, are the direct result of environmental degradation caused by illegal land clearing, says Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The Deputy Prime Minister said plantations that did not comply with standards of highland agriculture were also one of the causes.

“These activities have resulted in excess water trapped by plastic sheets used to cover crops,” he said. “The overflowing water runs into the river, flooding the affected areas.”

On the worsening soil erosion in the area, Muhyiddin said he had directed the Geology Department – which is under the purview of the Department of Environment – to focus more on Cameron Highlands.

The department is undertaking a nationwide investigation on soil erosion.

“We need to identify the unstable areas facing the risk of collapse and work on an action and mitigation plan,” he said.

The mitigation plan would also include measures to be taken if an area included houses so as to avoid the loss of lives and damage to property.

“The department has to look at the whole of Cameron Highlands, especially the areas under agriculture or illegal occupation,” said Muhyiddin.

“I am not sure how long it would take for it to prepare the plan but it must be done as soon as possible,” he said. “We would not know unless we do a comprehensive study.”

On Nov 5, flash floods and landslides struck Kampung Raja, Pekan Ringlet and Bertam Valley, killing five people including a 13-year-old boy who was swept away along Sungai Terlom in Kuala Terla.

MACC: Illegal land clearing in all sub-districts
The Star 10 Nov 14;

PETALING JAYA: Illegal land clearing in Cameron Highlands is not limited to just one area but include all its sub-districts.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy chief commissioner Datuk Mustafar Ali said it had become more rampant due to the lack of action.

Holders of Temporary Occupancy Licences (TOLs) have also been found to have cleared areas larger than that stipulated in their permits.

“The offences committed by permit holders have been allowed to go on for too long without any action being taken, resulting in difficulties to handle the problem now.

“There needs to be firm and coordinated action by all related parties to prevent the further destruction of the environment,” Mustafar said in a statement.

He said among the problems that the commission had identified was the existence of “lightning contractors” comprising Malaysians and foreigners who only carried out illegal land clearing during weekends and public holidays to avoid detection.

Mustafar said the MACC had submitted 12 recommendations to overcome the illegal and excessive land clearing in Cameron Highlands during Pahang’s state-level National Security Council meeting on July 22.

The recommendations call for a joint effort by all authorities to prevent any space for corruption, abuse of power and overcome administrative weaknesses in the enforcement and management of land in the area.

“A major measure that is very much needed to be included is the amendment to related laws,” Mustafar said.

He said Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob, who chaired the state-level meeting, had welcomed the recommendations and told the commission that the matter would be brought to the state executive council for follow-up action.

The recommendations are to:

> Re-examine the policy of giving TOLs;

> Draw up a clearer policy on land development in Cameron High­lands;

> Set up controls on foreign workers in the area;

> Separate the jurisdiction of the Cameron Highlands district council and its land office to prevent overlapping powers and grey areas;

> Clearly gazette the area’s permanent forest reserve;

> Clearly gazette the area’s orang asli re-settlement areas;

> Create a taskforce to help ensure more effective enforcement;

> Make it mandatory to put up signages to demarcate forest reserve boundaries;

> Re-evaluate the system and procedures involved in enforcement in the area;

> Implement appropriate administrative actions to smoothen management and enforcement of illegal land clearing activities;

> Set up a certification system to allow the authorities to check who is involved in projects in the area; and

> Set up an effective system to gather complaints and reports on any illegal activities.

Meanwhile, Mustafar said the MACC had also presented its recommendations to its Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel chaired by Tan Sri Johan Jaafar.

“The MACC will also forward these recommendations to the National Integrity Management Committee on Nov 25 as we feel that these issues are also occurring in other places,” he said.

He said the recommendations were vital to prevent it from happening in other areas, resulting in environmental, social and economic problems.

“Illegal loggers and those involved in illegal land clearing must be made to face stiff penalties under the law to prevent the problem in from recurring,” he said.

Govt wages war against illegal operators in Cameron Highlands
A. AZIM IDRIS New Straits Times 9 Nov 14;

PUTRAJAYA: The government has waged an all-out war against those operating illegally in Cameron Highlands, pledging to flush out the root causes of the recent floods and mudslides that has so far claimed five lives.

Apart from developing an improved flood mitigation plan, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the action involved a wide-scale joint-operation to weed out and punish illegal operators and immigrants responsible for the disaster.

Muhyiddin said stern action was needed to prevent a recurrence of the fatal flooding as illegal operations with foreign illegals had encroached on some 6,000 hectares of land, which did not comply with standards.

He said poor enforcement was also a problem in the district and several operators had previously "challenged" the local authorities to prevent them from carrying out their duties.

"We must show our authority and enforce the matter fully,"

"We will take stern action against on the foreign illegals and operators who have no right over the land send a clear message that there will be no forgiveness," he said after chairing a special emergency meeting with the National Security Council (NSC).

Muhyiddin said the operations, which involved the Immigration Department and Royal Malaysian Police Force, among others would begin immediately.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), he said, will also be roped in to investigate graft elements.

Muhyiddin: No forgiveness for Camerons culprits, masterminds
The Star 10 Nov 14;

PUTRAJAYA: "No forgiveness for you!" That was the stern warning given by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to the culprits responsible for the recent mud flood and landslides in Cameron Highlands.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the Government would launch an integrated operation involving several enforcement agencies to ensure that illegal immigrants who are behind illegal land clearing activities be brought to justice.

"One of the causes of the problems (floods and landslides) is the lack of enforcement against the culprits.

"The Government will take stern action and I have instructed for a massive operation be carried out," Muhyiddin said.

He was speaking to reporters after chairing a special meeting on flash floods and landslides in Cameron Highlands at the National Security Council's operation room here, Sunday.

Muhyiddin said the operation would be carried out immediately as some of the culprits had challenged the Government and law enforcement agencies to take action against them.

On the allegations that encroachment activities of illegal immigrants were protected by politicians, he said it should not be an excuse for them to be spared from legal action.

"For me, politicians or non-politicians, what's important is that the environment should not be destroyed in an irresponsible manner by irresponsible quarters.

"We are not worried, we don't care, we need to act against them. If they (politicians) are found to be the masterminds, they will not escape legal action," he said.

He said what was important was to protect the environment and the safety of the people.

Muhyiddin added that discussions should be carried out with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) because apart from Bangladeshis and Nepalese, there were over 4,000 Rohingya refugees with a UNHCR ID card in Cameron Highlands.

He said even though the refugees were protected by the UNHCR, they would not be spared from legal action if they were found to have violated the country's laws.

The mud flood and landslides which occurred in Kampung Raja, Ringlet and Bertam Valley in Cameron Highlands last Wednesday had claimed five lives and caused more than 90 victims from 28 families to be evacuated. – Bernama

Government launches blitz on illegal land clearing
NURBAITI HAMDAN The Star 10 Nov 14;

PUTRAJAYA: The Government has launched a massive crackdown on those responsible for the illegal land clearing activities that led to the recent flash floods and landslides in Cameron Highlands.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said there would be no let up in the action against those who violated the laws, even if they were Malaysian citizens or illegal immigrants.

“Saya kata tiada maaf bagimu (There will be no forgiveness for you),” he said after chairing an emergency meeting on the Cameron Highlands disaster at the National Security Council meeting yesterday.

The Deputy Prime Minister admitted there had been weak enforcement against illegal land encroachment involving thousands of hectares with some parties challenging the Government and local authorities to take action against them.

“One of the reasons the disasters happened is because there is no firmness in enforcement. As such, those who flout the laws are not afraid and the activities become rampant,” he said.

“We will now go all out and will use all our legal resources to enforce the laws. We mean business.”

Muhyiddin said that although land clearing activities fell under the jurisdiction of the Pahang state government, the Federal Government had ordered the state to enforce the law wholly and strictly.

He said the Government had also launched a massive exercise to arrest illegal immigrants. This involved the police, Immigration Department, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Com­mission, the police’s General Operations Force and the military.

Muhyiddin said in addition to illegal immigrants, there were also more than 4,000 Rohingyas from Myanmar with refugee status from the United Nations High Commis­sioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Cameron Highlands.

“We will speak to UNHCR on how to manage the Rohingyas,” he said.

“However, their protected status does not mean that they are exempted,” he said. “If they violate our laws, we will take action.”

On claims that illegal land clearing activities were “protected” by certain politicians, Muhyiddin said the Government would not close an eye or give excuses.

“Whether it is political or non-political, the environment must not be destroyed,” he said.

“We are not concerned about the people we have to take action against. If they are indeed proven to be the masterminds behind the destruction, we shall take action.”

It is said that corruption and political influences allegedly fuel the rampant land clearing in Cameron Highlands with sources claiming civil servants took a RM10,000 bribe for every 0.4ha of illegal farms.

Immigration officers nab 181 illegal workers
The Star 10 Nov 14;

CAMERON HIGHLANDS: Clad in plainclothes, immigration officers went around six towns here and detained 181 illegal immigrants trading illegally by the roadside in the area.

During the noon operation yesterday, the enforcement officers caught several people, including tourists by surprise, as they rounded up the foreign workers in the towns.

Ringlet, which was inundated by floods last Wednesday, was one of the towns. The others are Tanah Rata, Brinchang, Kuala Terla, Kampung Raja and Tringkap.

Immigration deputy director-general Datuk Sakib Kusmi said the operation focused on foreign workers who were without work permits or documents.

“Our officers checked 581 foreigners,” he said. “Most of their employers were not around during the operation.”

“This is an ongoing operation being carried out nationwide,” he told reporters.

Sakib said 369 officers from Pahang and other states took part in Ops Gempak dan Mesra.

“Those nabbed in Ringlet will be taken to the immigration departments in Malacca and Negri Sembilan.

“Those operating illegally in Tanah Rata will be taken to Putrajaya while those from Tringkap will be sent to Penang, Kedah and Perlis,” he said.

Sakib added that the department would launch another crackdown soon which would involve other agencies.

Call for Immediate Moratorium on Forest Clearing in Cameron Highlands
WWF-Malaysia 9 Nov 14;

Petaling Jaya - WWF-Malaysia is deeply saddened by the mudslide incident in Cameron Highlands which led to loss of lives and we offer our deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and those affected by the incident.

Rampant land clearing in Cameron Highlands has been highlighted countless times by residents and media over the years. Incidences such as floods and land or mudslides are followed by blame games, flurry of statements, allocation of funds and activities by the authorities, only to quieten down until another such incident occurs. There have been many calls to control development in Cameron Highlands, strictly enforce laws, adhere to policies and guidelines and view solutions in a holistic manner. However, the issues deluging Cameron Highlands still remain, if not worsens as time passes.

Holistic solutions for sustainable development of highlands have been proposed and formulated in the past and these solutions are still applicable. In 2002, during the 8th Malaysia Plan period the Federal government with funding from UNDP formulated strategies and action plans for sustainable highlands development through the Study for the Sustainable Development of the Highlands of Peninsular Malaysia. The mid-term review of the 8th Malaysia Plan specifically mentioned that the implementation of the strategies and recommendations in the study were being coordinated and monitored by the then Cabinet Committee on the Coordination and Development on Highlands and Islands.

In recent years, the National Physical Plan-2 has spelt out measures for sustainable development of highlands. A measure specific to the Cameron Highlands-Lojing-Kinta area in the NPP-2 states that agriculture development shall only be allowed outside of forest reserves and water catchment areas. We are now preparing for the 11th Malaysia Plan, however on-the-ground implementation of the measures and recommendations proposed in the Sustainable Development of Highlands Study and the NPP-2 is extremely lacking or near non-existent. Currently, there is no one body to monitor the implementation of the measures and recommendations for sustainable highlands development at the state and local levels.

The state government plays the main role in coordinating and controlling development in Cameron Highlands. Unchecked development over the years has led to haphazard development and forest land stripped bare despite numerous calls by various parties to conserve forests to prevent calamities.

We strongly call on the state government to immediately issue a moratorium on forest clearing in Cameron Highlands. This should be followed by strict implementation of this moratorium, related policies and guidelines and enforcement of existing laws. The state government should re-evaluate Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL) which has been given in environmental sensitive areas in the highlands and restore these lands to the original form. Those who have cleared forests illegally have to be fined and made to pay for restoration of the forest. This could also serve as a deterrent. Community involvement in planning and monitoring activities is also necessary.

Deepening rivers to mitigate flood will only serve as a short term measure, if forest clearing upstream of rivers continue. Forests play a major role in preventing landslides and controlling floods. Changing climate, extreme rainfall patters and forest clearing can lead to more frequent flooding. Let us not wait for another incident and more loss of lives before acting to save the remaining forests in Cameron Highlands.