Johor exco clarifies remark on Sg Pulai mangrove area
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article had reported comments made by a Country Garden Pacificview Sdn Bhd executive carried by The Malaysian Insight. That executive has denied making those statements. The article has been edited to reflect this.
Johor exco member Tan Hong Pin has clarified that he did not state that a portion of the Sungai Pulai mangrove area was no longer a forest reserve since 2017.
He was cited as saying so by The Malaysian Insight in its report today.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article had reported comments made by a Country Garden Pacificview Sdn Bhd executive carried by The Malaysian Insight. That executive has denied making those statements. The article has been edited to reflect this.
Johor exco member Tan Hong Pin has clarified that he did not state that a portion of the Sungai Pulai mangrove area was no longer a forest reserve since 2017.
He was cited as saying so by The Malaysian Insight in its report today.
"I didn't confirm anything (to that reporter). I don't have the information at hand [...]
"All I said was that we (DAP assemblypersons) had revealed about the (golf course resort) project two years ago," he told Malaysiakini.
The golf course in question is the Forest City Golf Resort, which according to Malaysiakini's investigations was carved out of a portion of the Sungai Pulai mangrove area.
The entire Sungai Pulai mangrove swamp - the largest in the country - was gazetted as a forest reserve in 1962. It is recognised as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
Meanwhile, Country Garden Pacificview Sdn Bhd strategic director Ng Zhu Hann told Malaysiakini that he did not issue any statements to The Malaysian Insight.
Ng was quoted in the same The Malaysian Insight report that cited Tan. Country Garden Pacificview Sdn Bhd is the owner of the golf resort.
In late January, Malaysiakini had contacted Ng and other representatives with a list of questions for Forest City representatives on land matters, the commencement date of the project and also information on the Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) report.
Forest City officials did not respond to those queries. Malaysiakini communicated with Ng yesterday but he was unable to issue a statement at the time.
RELATED REPORTS:
Teeing off in a forest reserve
Malaysiakini's award-winning series on Forest City
Broken dreams - the plight of Forest City's migrant workers
Pulau Kukup de-gazetted in March 2018, gov't document shows
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This action cannot be undone.