The Kelantan government has ordered logging activities in Balah permanent forest reserve in Gua Musang to be temporarily stopped effective today, following protests from the Orang Asli in the area.

Kelantan Forestry Department director Zahari Ibrahim said, as such, all logging-related operations were postponed until all issues were solved.

"We have also ordered all logging companies operating in the area to stop their work temporarily," he told reporters in Kota Baru today.

Zahari said, at present, there were only two licensed logging companies still operating, involving 30 to 40 workers.

Last Wednesday, over 200 Orang Asli residents were reported to have staged a protest against logging activities, including by putting up a blockade to prevent logs from being taken out from the area, which caused a commotion when the logging workers tried to dismantle it.

The Orang Asli claimed the area between Post Tohoi and Pos Simpor, Gua Musang was their customary land and that the loggers were trespassing, while the loggers claimed they had valid licences to fell trees in the area.

However, Zahari said there was no issue of customary land as the land was never gazetted as one.

"What happens now is that the Orang Asli community wants the area to be gazetted as their customary land.

"The Department of Orang Asli Development (Jakoa) should've played its role in this issue because the process to obtain customary land title should have been submitted by Jakoa," he said.

Meanwhile, when asked to comment on the same issue, Menteri Besar Ahmad Yakob said the state government would leave it to the police to investigate the commotion between the Orang Asli and the loggers.

He said preliminary information received found the logging activities were conducted in accordance with the stipulated standard operating procedure.

- Bernama