Putrajaya unhappy over Sg Pulai, but our hands are tied - Xavier
Putrajaya has expressed its dissatisfaction with the Johor government over part of the Sungai Pulai Forest Reserve being turned into the Forest City Golf Resort.
According to Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Xavier Jayakumar, however, nothing can be done about the encroachment by the federal government.
"It is already done, so what you want (us) to do...
Putrajaya has expressed its dissatisfaction with the Johor government over part of the Sungai Pulai Forest Reserve being turned into the Forest City Golf Resort.
According to Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Xavier Jayakumar, however, the federal government is powerless to do anything about the encroachment.
"It is already done, so what you want (us) to do? We in the federal government do not have any law that we can use in order to take action in the state level.
"We are in an advisory role as far as state land is concerned, we are just advising them and we have called them already.
"We can only express our dissatisfaction with the state government," he told reporters when met at Semenyih.
Xavier pointed out, however, that Putrajaya has brought up the matter of two new Forest City golf courses.
The Sungai Pulai Forest Reserve, which supports a rich biological diversity of many mangrove and animal species, was gazetted in 1962.
In 2003, it was identified as a wetland of international importance and placed on the Ramsar List. Malaysia is a signatory of the Ramsar Convention.
In a special report, Malaysiakini established that Forest City Golf Resort was built in an area that is part of the forest reserve.
PM 'concerned'
Xavier also noted the Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is aware of the issue.
"I think the prime minister is very concerned in this matter, and he had told us to look into how we could have more say as far as deforestation is concerned," he said.
"The chief ministers and menteris besar need to be aware that continuous deforestation would impact oil palm estates and the industry.
"This concerns the survival of oil palm industry in the country," he said.
Xavier stressed that the federal government is fighting against anti-oil palm lobby in Europe.
"So, this is of national interest, they must understand this," he added.
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
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