The 10,000-acre tract of land at the centre of a logging scandal involving Umno Pahang is not suitable for oil palm cultivation, said a forestry consultant.

Lim Teck Wyn, who has 10 years' experience in the industry, said the land located in Nenasi, Pekan - about 100km south of Kuantan - cannot be used for any form of agriculture as much of it is peat swamp forest.

"The Pekan district structure plan (1995-2020) report did not mention any plan to convert the peat swamp forest for oil palm cultivation. This is because peat swamps are normally unsuitable for cultivation of oil palm," Lim, an independent forestry consultant, told malaysiakini .

"Since the land is not suitable for oil palm, why was the logging concession given (to Umno Pahang)?".

Umno Pahang has been clearing the vast tract of forest - approximately 40 sq km in size - ostensibly for oil palm plantation.

It received the land from the state government five years ago, which in turn awarded the rights to clear the land to logging company Seruan Gemilang Makmur (SGM) for a paltry sum of RM50,000.

Industry experts contacted by malaysiakini have questioned the extremely low transfer rights and wonder if there was a "hidden agreement" between the two parties.

Sensitive areas

According to Lim, Umno Pahang would need to drain the entire tract of land if it is to be made suitable for oil palm cultivation.

"However, draining the area will affect the surrounding forest, making it more susceptible to a forest fire," he said.

Lim also said an environmental impact assessment (EIA) study should have been commissioned before the green light was given for the land to be cleared.

Under the Environmental Quality Act (EQA) 1974, plots above 1,200 acres require an EIA study to be done before any work can be carried out.

To circumvent this requirement, Umno's land has been sub-divided into 10 separate parcels, which explains why the logging firm SGM is required to apply for a new licence for every 1,000 acres.

SGM is currently embroiled in a legal suit with Umno Pahang after it failed to obtain logging licences to clear the remaining tract of forest after having logged about 7,000 acres over the past three years.

Lim argued that a provision in the EQA requires an EIA for environmentally sensitive areas, regardless of their size.

"An EIA study is still required if the area concerned is a sensitive area such as in this case - a virgin peat swamp forest and a water resource area for Nenasi," he said.

Peat swamp forests play an important role during the rainy season by soaking up excessive rain water from surface drainage.

During the dry season, they help to replenish water supply. The peat soil also ensures that the swamp ecosystem remains in balance.

According to the World Rainforest Movement, draining peat swamps will affect their ecological functions and eventually could lead to the peat drying up, causing the soil to collapse.

"Draining peat swamps for oil palm, rubber, logging, aquaculture, industrial and residential development ... spells trouble," the movement warned in an article titled 'Malaysia: The environmental impacts of draining peat swamps' in its 2002 December bulletin.

State gov't has final say

Official documents made available to malaysiakini state that almost 90 percent of the area is classified as permanent forest reserve. In addition, about 4,000 acres are untouched virgin forest.

"The peat swamp forest is a unique ecosystem. Virgin peat swamp forests are declining in Malaysia. If we go by the current declining rate, there will be no more virgin peat swamp forests by 2020," Lim warned.

The consultant also urged industry 'watchdog', the Malaysia Timber Certification Council, to immediately investigate the logging scandal.

The council's role is to ensure that Malaysian timber products are sourced from sustainably managed forests.

Lim also lamented that decision-making processes in forest management are "politically motivated" in Malaysia. It once had one of the best forestry systems in the world, but it has since been stripped of much of its virgin forests.

"The forestry department has many competent foresters, but arbitrary decisions by politicians make their job very difficult," he added.

"The state executive council has the final say (on land matters) and can do whatever they like. This (Pahang Umno's logging scam) is one example that the advice of the forestry department is not being followed."

No sign of cultivation

Last week, malaysiakini reported that Umno Pahang had been awarded a multi-million ringgti logging concession by the state government five years ago.

The state executive council - at a meeting on Jan 7, 1998 - authorised the awarding of the 10,000-acre site to Umno Pahang "for oil palm plantation".

However, there are no signs of the land being used for oil palm cultivation to date, even though most of it has been stripped of timber.

It is conservatively estimated that the logging proceeds from this concession alone are worth tens of millions of ringgit.

The legitimacy of Umno Pahang logging this piece of land is also in question since the plot was never owned by the party - it has repeatedly failed to pay a RM4.8 million premium to the district land office as a pre-requisite for land clearing.