Kedah gov't not awarding new logging concessions - MB's office

The Kedah government has clarified that Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Noor has not proposed for the award of new logging concessions in the state.

Press secretary to the Menteri Besar, Muhamad Mat Yakim said Muhammad's (photo, above) remarks on the matter was only on a proposal to resolve issues concerning logging concessions carried over from the previous Pakatan Harapan administration.

Muhamad Mat said these concessions were earlier granted and then revoked by the previous state government although the companies have paid the concession premiums.

The press secretary stressed that this "is not a proposal for the state government to open new concessions".

"As a result, the state government has to face implications of either court action, indemnity or even granting other timber areas to the concessionaires," he said in a statement.

Muhamad Mat was referring to reports that claimed Kedah was "ready to reopen log concessions", which he said had caused confusion among netizens.

Yesterday, Sanusi had reportedly made the remarks at a press conference in Wisma Darul Aman but this has been denied.

According to media reports yesterday, the state was prepared to consider allowing logging concessions to avoid paying concessionaires about RM1 billion in court actions.

Sanusi had reportedly said the companies involved had their concessions cancelled when the state gazetted Ulu Muda as a forest reserve and water catchment area.

Muhamad Mat said the state government had insisted that the replacement areas be within the forestry area authorised by the Forestry Department based on current laws and regulations.

"The priority of the state government is to ensure that the lives of the people will not be disturbed, that there would be no pollution, no deforestation, erosion, mud floods and other consequences that can bring destruction to the environment and human life, either in the short or long term.

"These measures will be rationalised and given due consideration.

"If we are prepared to pay damages claiming to be worth RM1 billion, the replacement area will not arise," he said.

In September 2018, then Land, Water and Natural Resources Minister Xavier Jayakumar said Kedah would revoke logging permits given to companies logging in the Ulu Muda Forest Reserves.

Then Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir had agreed to stop all logging activities in the area and to gazette it as a state park. - Mkini