Reject Kledang-Saiong project EIA report, Green Party urges govt

The Green Party has called on the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry to reject the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of a proposed plantation project in Perak’s Kledang Saiong Forest Reserve.

It also urged Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to intervene on the matter, in his capacity as Tambun MP, and reject the proposal.

Green Party president Zabri Mokhtar objected to the project, which spans 4,280 hectares of the forest reserve, on grounds that it would severely impact Perak and the forest reserve’s ecosystem.

“The harvesting of 10,823 acres of the forest reserve will lead to a loss of tropical rainforest. It is also a habitat for several types of protected and endangered wildlife,” he said in a statement.

Zabri added that this would result in floods and landslides in the future.

The EIA report of the proposed project is currently under review by the Department of Environment (DOE) and is open for public viewing until Jan 26. Public feedback for the project will close on Feb 10.

The site, which totals 38.9 percent of the size of Kledang Saiong Forest Reserve, would have to be fully cleared first if the project is approved, according to its EIA.

It is currently classified as a Rank 2 environmentally sensitive area.

READ MORE: 5,994 football fields of forest reserve may soon be timber plantation

The EIA report found there were two critically endangered species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List that called the forest reserve home - namely, the helmeted hornbill and Asian brown tortoise.

It is also the habitat for 11 endangered species including the Asian tapir, siamang, blue-winged leafbird and the Malaysian box turtle, as well as 10 vulnerable species such as the Malayan sun bear, clouded leopard, leopard cat and wreathed hornbill.

Also impacted, Zabri said, would be the Orang Asli community of Kampung Orang Asli Bukit Chermin, which is located 200 metres northwest of the proposed site.

According to the EIA, the forest reserve provides their source of income, water supply and food for some 200 residents of the village.

The proposed forest plantation project is broken down into several compartments to be developed and managed by four project proponents.

The largest area of land is awarded to Syarikat Sri Kruing Sdn Bhd at 1,329ha, followed by Rimba Kembara Sdn Bhd (1,280ha), Rimbun Cengal Sdn Bhd (1,071ha) and Seri Tualang Sdn Bhd (600ha).

However, Zabri alleged that there was one individual behind all four companies, whom he claimed was awarded the project to deceive the public.

“The Green Party has done a check on the four companies awarded this project and discovered that they are owned by a ‘Datuk’ who owns a flour milling company.

“We view awarding the project to four companies as a disguise to obscure the eyes of the public. It (the EIA) states that the project is given to four companies to carry out the timber plantations, but it is really only given to one individual,” he said.

Zabri further claimed that the “Datuk” involved had attempted to conduct a bamboo planting project two years ago, but has now ventured into plantation projects on a larger scale.

For the record, checks by Malaysiakini found that all four companies are registered to the same business address.

Zabri added that several groups and organisations intend to meet with Perak Ruler, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah regarding the project.

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