Villagers object, but Kedah allows clearing of virgin forest

The PAS-led Kedah government has approved the deforestation of thousands of hectares to make way for a rubber plantation scheme.

The Star daily, in an exclusive report, said that the state had approved the felling of trees, including virgin forest, despite objections from environmentalists and villagers.

The newest area earmarked for logging, is the Jeniang forest reserve in Sungai Petani.

According to the daily, the forest reserve has been compartmentalised into 80ha and 100ha lots, and logging boundaries marked with red paint.

Not much say

Quoting a Kedah Forestry Department source, the daily said that the authorities did not have much say in forestry matters.

Another forest reserve in Pedu is also affected, as the state had placed signboards authorising logging.

Pedu assemblyperson Mahdzir Khalid ( right ) told the daily that 500ha of the forest land has been approved for first stage of logging.

Mahdzir added that the area is about 300m from the Pedu Dam and claimed that logging has affected the ecological system as pollutants from the felling of the trees flowed into Sungai Terap.

Meanwhile, five villages in Kuala Pegang, Baling claimed that logging at the nearby Gunung Inas has polluted Sungai Kupang, their main source of drinking water.

The water quality channelled from the river, has deteriorated, alleged the villagers interviewed by the newspaper, but their demonstrations to stop the felling of the forest Gunung Inas "has been in vain".