Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir said he has ordered a moratorium on logging activities in Gunung Inas, Baling claiming to protect the environment and the people.

According to Umno-owned Malay daily Utusan Malaysia today, he said this was to allow for a review of the logging activities, including a check on whether the logging concessions issued were in accordance with conditions stipulated in Environmental Impact Assessment reports (EIA).

“If there are any complaints backed by evidence that the (EIA) conditions are not followed to the letter, I would not hesitate to order logging activities there to be stopped outright with immediate effect,” he was quoted saying yesterday.

He reportedly said the review is not meant to disrupt the income of any party, but to safeguard the interests of the people.

Mukhriz was also quoted saying that he hopes to avoid issuing further logging concessions if possible and find alternative sources of state revenue.

The first-term menteri besar was sworn in on May 6, after BN recaptured Kedah from Pakatan Rakyat following the 13th general election.