The Kelantan Forestry Department has denied allegations of burning illegal huts built by the Orang Asli community at blockades set up at the logging route in the Balah Permanent Forest Reserve in an operation at Gua Musang yesterday.

However, its director, Zahari Ibrahim, said that the agency’s enforcement team had carried out an operation demolishing illegal huts yesterday morning.

Zahari denied accusations that they burnt the huts as they pleased, adding that based on the report filed by the operation officer, the fire was caused by embers left behind by a group of Orang Asli in a newly-built hut at the blockade area.

“The Orang Asli thought that the embers had been fully extinguished,” he said in a statement yesterday.

According to Zahari, during the operation, there were only four Orang Asli housed in the newly-built hut and as soon as the department’s enforcement team arrived at the scene, the group of Orang Asli were instructed to leave the illegal settlement.

He added that in the five-hour operation from 9am yesterday, which involved three teams from his department as well as the Gua Musang Forestry Office, new blockades erected in the area were also demolished.

- Bernama