Community leaders and villagers from Banggi in Sabah want answers from the authorities for allowing a private company to carry out logging in a secondary forest which surrounds a forest reserve.

"The people here have posed several questions to the authorities and they want answers," said state PKR deputy liaison chief Christina Liew today.

She said that villagers want to know, among others, if the Department of Environment has given their assessment whether the said forest area was suitable for logging activities.

The villagers are also interested in finding out if the state government had sold the 9,905 hectare of secondary forest land to the company or if it has entered in a joint venture project?

"And if it is a joint venture project, they want to know the parties involved in the venture," sae added.

The villagers are also worried that logging activities have started - without supervision from any relevant authorities - along the boundary of the forest reserve.

Protect water catchments

Liew, who is also state PKR public complaints bureau chairperson, said the people of Sabah, particularly from the Banggi community, want the Forestry Department director "to be transparent on the transaction pertaining to this so-called investment project".

"We are concerned because of the proximity of the nearby forest reserve with water catchments which may be affected.

"We maintain that the government of the day is the custodian of our state's assets and natural resources; they have the duty to ensure that whatever decision made is for the walfare of the people, the state and our future generation," she added.

Liew said the state representative of Banggi Amir Kahar should take immediate action to ensure that water catchments in the reserve forest are protected.