KOTA BARU: Environmental non-governmental organisation Sahabat Alam Malaysia has claimed that illegal logging activities is still rampant in a few permanent forest reserves in Kelantan.
Its representative, Meor Razak Meor Abdul Rahman, said he believed the activities mostly were held in the forests in Gua Musang.
He suspected loggers who were given licences by the state government to plant various types of trees have breached the rules by carrying out illegal logging activities.
"Several NGOs went on the ground to investigate this after receiving many complaints from the Orang Asli on illegal logging activities being held in the forest reserves.
"They found that clearing activities are widely taking place there and this includes in the reserve areas along the river.
"The state government is planning to clear some forests to turn them into farmland, but the river reserves still need to be preserved," he said.
Meor Razak was asked about illegal logging in Kelantan after another NGO, Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam (Kuasa) posted a video clip on X, formerly known as Twitter, of what it claimed to be illegal logging activity in the state.
Pembalakan yang semakin tak terkawal di Kelantan, dulu banyak tebang terpilih dan perlu tanam semula dgn pokok asal, sekarang banyak tebang habis sehingga botak hutan, dan tanam dengan 1 jenis pokok shj (monoculture plantation) seperti getah, durian musang king dll pic.twitter.com/pQdCk0TrkS
— Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam - KUASA (@aktivis_alam) February 27, 2024
In the 90-second clip, denuded areas of the forest as well as many logs could be seen.
It could not be ascertained where the video had been taken, nor whether it was indeed being done in forest reserves, but Kuasa claimed that whereas earlier clearing was done under licence with the areas being replanted with trees of the same type, this time they being replaced with other types such as musang king or rubber trees.
Meor Razak said the Orang Asli community lodged complaints, among others, because they do not want their resource areas being invaded.
"The state government has been giving the same excuse when asked by the Orang Asli about the issue.
"They claimed that the licences given to these loggers were issued a long time ago but we doubt it. We hope the state government will be transparent on this issue," he added.