Not a single forest reserve has been reduced in Penang, said state executive councillor Phee Boon Poh.

He said this in reference to the New Straits Times (NST) report published today titled “Illegal farms at two forests reserves”, which quoted sources saying that Bukit Relau and Bukit Penara permanent forest reserves were cleared for farming and orchards, respectively.

Phee added that the state government has launched an investigation into the matter when it received information on alleged illegal clearing of the land.

“The plots of land in question are privately owned and not forest reserves,” Phee, who is state environment committee chairperson, said in a press conference in Komtar today.

Responding to the matter, Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) had written to the Forestry Department but has yet to receive any response.

SAM president SM Mohamad Idris urged the department to conduct frequent monitoring and take “stringent action” to stop further encroachment.

The veteran activist suggested that perpetrators should be "charged and imprisoned".

Phee slammed NST for being “unprofessional” for the article, asking that it be reviewed or retracted as it is “baseless, a lie, to create bad impression (about the state government)".

He said the state government had probed the matter even before the news were splashed on the NST’s front page.

“We have taken photographs, not a single forest reserve had been reduced,” said the Sungai Puyu assemblyperson.

Phee said Penang was willing to work with anyone to protect the state’s forest reserves.

He reminded the media that the state government had planted more than 271,000 trees in the state.

“There are no illegal logging. I fully support the call by Sahabat Alam Malaysia.

“In the last ministerial meeting, I called for amendments of the law which includes jail term for anyone who destroys or damages forest reserves,” he added.

Phee said in 1998, three individuals were compounded for encroaching into the forest reserve land.

"You are allowed to go in and survey for yourself or review our report,” he told the reporters.