LETTER | We, the undersigned NGOs hereby call on Johor Menteri Besar Osman Sapian and the state executive council to immediately reverse the degazetting of Pulau Kukup and restore its status as a national park.

We also want the menteri besar and his excos to give a solemn undertaking that there will not be any more degazetting of other national parks in the state, like Endau-Rompin Peta, Endau-Rompin Selai, Tanjung Piai, Gunung Ledang, Taman Laut Sultan Iskandar and the Sungai Pulai Ramsar site.

These national parks are part of our natural heritage, and protecting them preserves the diversity of ecosystems for the enjoyment of our future generations, both locally and globally.

Once lost, the rich flora and fauna that are found in these national parks would be irrecoverable and therefore they are priceless.

Pulau Kukup is a Ramsar-site (one of 7 Ramsar sites in Malaysia), which means that Malaysia is a "contracting party" to the Convention on Wetlands (called the Ramsar Convention).

It is an inter-governmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

Wetlands provide us with water, they protect us from floods, droughts and other disasters, and they provide food and livelihoods to millions of people globally.

Pulau Kukup is unique example of an intact mangrove island which is a rarity in Malaysia. In Southeast Asia, mangrove islands have disappeared more frequently in the name of development as compared to coastal or riverine mangroves.

The Johor government has a duty to guarantee that this natural heritage is protected by law and no commercial development should ever encroach their borders.

Degazetting these protected lands is to betray the trust people placed in the state government.

We stand in support of the motion passed by the Johor Legislative Assembly on Dec 6 for the state government to review the degazetting.

Such a review and reversal of the degazette would be most welcomed, we believe, by all Johoreans and Malaysians.

We hope that the menteri besar and state exco will learn from this unfortunate episode that they need to consult all stakeholders, be more transparent and accountable before undertaking any major policies.

A full report of the events that led to this de-gazetting incident should be made public.

In the new political environment after the recent general election, Malaysians have a higher expectation for the Pakatan Harapan government to be more consultative and responsive to the concerns of the rakyat.

The above statement is endorsed in its entirety by the following civil society organisations:

Agora Society Malaysia
Aliran
Baramkini
Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC)
Center to Combat Corruption & Cronyism (C4)
Childline Malaysia
Eden Welfare Charity Society
Engage
Friends of Penang Botanic Gardens
Gema Johor
Grassroots
Green Earth Society
Himpunan Hijau
IKRAM Negeri Johor
Institut Kesedaran Rakyat (IKR)
International Women's Peace Group (IWPG) Malaysia
Jobada Johor
Johor People's Action Group (JPAG)
Johor Yellow Flame (JYF)
KL and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH)
Kluang Bersih
Lifezone
LLG Cultural Development Centre
Malacca Johor Diocese Catholic Lawyers Guild
Monitoring Sustainability of Globalisation
Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS)
Muslim Professionals Forum (MPF)
Peka Malaysia
Penang Forum
Penang Heritage Trust
People Ideas Culture
Perak Heritage Society
Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam (Kuasa)
Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor
Pertubuhan Alam Sekitar Sejahtera Malaysia (Grass Malaysia)
Pertubuhan Kasih dan Sokongan (Anbum AaTharavumAAa) Johor
Pusat Komas
Sahabat Rakyat
Sam Addams
Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM)
Selamatkan Kuala Lumpur (SKL)
Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram)
Sustainable Development Network M'sia (Susden M'sia)
Tamil Foundation
Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy
Toy Libraries Malaysia
United Chinese School Alumni Associations of Malaysia (UCSAAM)
UUM Progressive Front

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