COMMENT The Tualang trees that environmentalist Steve Oh planted in and around the Haven Resorts and Residences in Tambun, Ipoh, last week will some day outlive Oh’s lifespan. But this is at least the legacy that the Perth-based author hopes to leave behind for all Malaysians.

By creating the ‘rainforest oasis’, Oh is hoping to impart an important message to those around the country whom he has labelled as “environmental terrorists.” I have met with the man himself to understand what exactly makes him tick.

The author of ‘Tiger King of the Golden Jungle’, an eco-novel which was published in 2009, said that he felt helpless and frustrated about the deafening silence on the environment from all those in authority.

Relating back to his follow-up emails to the mayor of the Ipoh City Council, a frustrated Oh told reporters: “They have been sent email after email with no response.”

Despite articles that have highlighted on various land clearing activities and mangrove land, Perak Menteri Besar Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir has yet to act according to his conscience and put a stop to activities that can be detrimental to the environment.

Complaints have been raised by non-governmental organisations on behalf of the Orang Asli and farming community that their agriculture land has been taken back by the state government. If left unchecked, this will affect the food security of the nation, with Malaysia being a net importer of food.

“I feel helpless so I decided to plant trees,” Oh said during a brief press conference at his condominium at the Haven. “I plant them for the future. I hope more and more Malaysians will not feel helpless but rally around the cause of stopping wanton degradation of the environment and plant more lost trees.”

Referring to the land clearing activities that seem to have encroached into forest reserve land, Oh lamented: “No one has given me a straight answer on what is happening to the rainforest hills being carved out. I asked for an answer but no one is telling me anything.”

What most people can agree is that land designated for housing will be cleared, but what about land that appears on paper to be forest reserve land? Even when an explanation is being sought with regard to these goings-on, no one gave a word of explanation.

During his brief stint in Malaysia recently to visit his father, Oh made an attempt to meet up with local state assemblyperson Aminuddin Hanafiah to seek for his help to stop the alleged encroachment into the forest reserve, or at least to explain to him and his Joint Management Committee what is happening to the beautiful rainforest adjacent to the Haven Residences. Aminuddin promised he would investigate.

Residents of the adjacent Permai Lakeview apartments also hope Zambry, as the MB, will not wash off his hands over what is happening to the forest reserve, which Oh described as “pristine” several months ago, when he was staying at his condo. Now, he is heartbroken, because the landscape has changed drastically, looking more like the landscape from Mars.

Oh believes that his grievances, as expressed to Aminuddin, will not be a waste of his time after their brief meeting.

“We are not out to defame anyone, but in Australia, this would be criminal,” he said. “I own acres of land but I cannot knock down a single tree without local council approval. There are huge fines for illegal clearing of land. Huge swathes of land are protected bushland. You cannot simply cut down trees and carve away a hill and cart away the earth unless the land is zoned for resource exploitation.”

Lesson from the Tualang trees

Holding a Tualang seedling in his hand, Oh said that someday the Tualang will outlive him and grow as tall as the three 26-storey condominiums at the Haven, when it reaches maturity. With a full height of about 85 metres, the Tualang is one of the tallest of rainforest trees. “It is known as the ‘King of the Trees’, which Malaysians should be proud of,” he noted.

This species also happens to be his favourite tree. “In Australia, I was mainly involved in planting the giant Karri trees.

“I am also planning to plant hundreds of the endangered Jarrah trees that produce the world's best honey. It is a legacy for the future,” he added.

A Penang boy, who subsequently moved to Ipoh, Oh said Malaysians should be proud of having the raintree-lined roads of Taiping Lakes and the giant angsana trees in Penang. “Because of this, I want to emulate the people who had planted these trees in the past. They did it so that our generation can enjoy the fruits from other people’s labour,” he added.

Oh had also proposed to Aminuddin to look into the possibility of the state government conserving the Tambun nature strip, with the Sunway and Haven developments to produce Ipoh's sustainable development where people and nature can co-exist. “But there must be concern for nature and clever planning,” he pointed out.

Elaborating further, he said: “I can envisage a prosperous future for the Tambun area, but not from unwise use of the land. There already is a masterplan gazetted - stick to it.”

With the Tualang trees, it is also a practical lesson that Oh hopes to impart to the people in the corridors of power - that development must be carried out sustainably. “Once you remove a primary rainforest it is lost forever because the entire, unique ecosystem, down to the micro-organisms, cannot exist anymore,” he acknowledged.

Through his book, ‘Tiger King of the Golden Jungle’, he tries also to educate the people about sustainable development. "Every day I see the mechanical monsters gobble up trees, and what once was a beautiful hill is turned into a painful eyesore," Oh stressed.

"In my novel, Adam the Malay entrepreneur came to his senses and became a true 'son of the soil' by being the rainforest's protector instead of its destroyer. He went on to build a Rainforest City, and became an eco-apologist. This is what everyone should be - a nature lover who will love the rainforests. After all, God gave us a beautiful rainforest country but what have we done?”

Not many people are as passionate as Oh. Indeed, one man can make a difference. Because of his passion, I followed up with Tambun MP Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah and Perak DAP whip Ngeh Koo Ham, who both agreed to follow through the investigation as well.

The forest reserve has to be protected and this is the duty of the state government and the menteri besar, who has to be responsible for any damage done to the ecological harmony of the pristine environment that many of us want to see preserved.

STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008.