There is no denying that logging of trees in the rainforests, whether legal or illegal, had played a huge role in the mammoth mud floods in Kelantan in late 2014 and early 2015, said the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4).

Its executive director, Cynthia Gabriel, said that damages from the gushing waters were estimated at RM1 billion.

She noted that 21 people lost their lives and 200,000 others were displaced by the floods which inundated parts of Kelantan, Terengganu, Perak and Pahang.

“Among the main victims were the Orang Asli who also continue to face loss of home and ancestral lands due to rampant deforestation,” Gabriel said after attending a two-day seminar on deforestation in the east zone in Bachok, Kelantan, today.

“Although the authorities have emphasised that land-clearing activities are within the law, claims of corruption continue to haunt the process,” she said at the event attended by about 100 people.

“We remain uncompromising in our assertion that the authorities must address allegations of corruption being rife in the management of our forests, and work with affected communities towards resolving the situation,”she said.

Gabriel’s remarks follow a survey conducted by the corruption watchdog in Kota Baru and Gua Musang in October last year.

Specific suggestions

The report was submitted to Kelantan Deputy Chief Minister Mohd Amar Abdullah, the state Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) director Moh Samsudin Yusof and state forestry director Zahari Ibrahim in a follow-up visit from (May 16 to 18).

The field work, carried out by a group of independent researchers, culminated in the launch of a report titled ‘An insight into the Kelantan timber industry (a need for better forest governance)’ in Penang in April.

The recommendations in the report include improvement of transparency, accountability and good governance in forestry-related issues and protection of the rights of the Orang Asli.

The report gave specific suggestions for the Forestry Department, Department of Environment and the MACC to act against the culprits.

It also proposed several measures to close bureaucratic loopholes through central management and implementing clear guidelines for enforcement, monitoring and penalties.

The report suggested that public education and activating local action committee for supervision and monitoring of forestry activities be carried out to resolve the problem.

In the two-day event, relevant government departments and agencies shared their facts and data, voiced their concerns, identified problems and suggested strategies to resolve the problems.

Organised with the MACC, the event drew various individuals and groups from Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang, who have interest in forestry management.

Gabriel said it was a culmination of C4’s work over the last year in Kelantan to generate greater public awareness about the issues and find solutions, including the plight of the Orang Asli who are severely affected by deforestation.