Although green has been adopted as PAS' official colour, the party shouldn't be confused for environmentalists, judging from their poor forestry management, says MCA.

 

In a press statement today, MCA deputy publicity chief Loh Seng Kok said Kedah and Kelantan were both victims of extensive logging, which have degraded the environment.

 

But now that Salor state assemblyperson Human Musa had told the Kelantan legislative assembly that the application for a logging project at Ulu Sat Permanent Forest Reserve in Machang required only a two-page application, there should be greater scrutiny on Kelantan's forest management.

 

"Common sense would dictate that surely more than two-pages of application will be required for any approval covering a 1,400 concession area. Was any Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report submitted?

 

"Surely any EIA (not the application) carried out by professional environmental engineers or forestry specialists would be thicker than two pages!" said Loh.

 

He also criticised former Kelantan menteri besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat for the "rampant deforestation" of 23,070 hectares of land in a Ladang Rakyat project in Gua Musang, which Loh said affected the livelihood of 1,854 Orang Asli.

 

"Kedah under PAS previously suffered the same predicament, with widespread hills clearing at Gunung Inas near the Pedu water catchment area and in the Bukit Perangin Forest Reserve," he said.