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K'tan's Temiar people in losing battle with loggers

Sadness. That is the only word that can describe the area being cleared by loggers within the Gua Musang forest reserve.

Although there are guarantees from the authorities that logging in the state is under control, reality on the ground is very different.

Two weeks ago, this reporter accompanied several NGOs to the forest reserve - a 520km journey taking two days - to see first hand the effects of logging and the struggle by activists and the affected Orang Asli community.

This remote area can only be accessed with four-wheel drive vehicles. Hidden from public attention is the palpable anger of the Temiar community, which has lost so much to logging.

Loggers here are licensed by the Kelantan government, but they face opposition from the Temiars who consider the area their ancestral land.

Logging takes place in other areas such as the Ulu Sat forest reserve in Machang, but the Temiar are among the most active in resisting the loggers, and with valid reasons.


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