PARLIAMENT | The permanent forest reserve areas in Peninsular Malaysia has increased to 4,811,226ha as of Dec 31, 2017, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Deputy Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji said the area covers 36.42 percent of the total area of 13,209,065ha of land in the peninsula.

He said it was an increase of 23,968ha or 0.5 percent of the total area of permanent forest reserves for 2008.

“This shows that the sustainable forest management practised in the peninsula today does not result in forest deterioration. This occurs due to the conversion of land use,” he said.

He was replying to a question by Wong Tack (Harapan-Bentong) who wanted to know the extent of the massive forest replanting project that would be implemented by the non-governmental organisation Tropical Rainforest Conservation and Research Centre (TRCRC).

Tengku Zulpuri said the government has yet to make a decision on the proposed replanting by TRCRC.

Meanwhile, Tengku Zulpuri said the government would table the Forestry Bill next year to improve forest management.

- Bernama