After December’s floods claimed at least 54 lives, several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) urged the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to push for a 25-year nationwide moratorium on logging.
They also want the entire Titiwangsa forest complex, which runs along the Titiwangsa mountain range in Peninsular Malaysia, to be gazetted as a national park to ensure its protection.
This afternoon, the NGOs submitted a memorandum of their demands to the Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur.
Led by Peka president Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil, they urged the Agong to pressure Putrajaya to implement a slew of reforms.
“We want the federal government to impose a 25-year moratorium to enable our forests to regenerate. More importantly, we want them to gazette the Titiwangsa forest complex.
“If they don’t gazette it, destruction of the forest will happen every day... and droughts, floods, as well as landslides will keep happening.
“Like sports days, floods have become an annual occurrence. We don’t want this to happen continuously,” she told the media after emerging from the palace.
Their other demands were to impose higher fines against climate criminals, stop development at environmentally sensitive areas, and protect water catchment forests.
Aside from Peka, the other NGOs in the entourage were Greenpeace Malaysia, Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim), Pertubuhan Harapan Empati Aduan Rakyat (Heart), and Otai Reformis 1998.
Like Shariffa, Otai Reformis president Abdul Razak Ismail called on the Agong to push for logging licenses to be frozen.
“We also ask His Majesty to advise those in the royal family. Because we know some in the royal family are the ones holding these logging licenses.
“The rakyat is upset at logging tycoons as well as these logging permit holders,” he said.
Last month’s floods led to criticism that logging was the main culprit, especially after images surfaced of an accumulation of wood debris in Sungai Kerau, Pahang.
While the Pahang Forestry Department denied that logging was a factor in the flood crisis, the department imposed a state-wide temporary stop-work order on all logging activities earlier this month.
Logging exacerbated flood crisis
Aside from the five NGOs, several members of the public also showed up at today’s march towards the palace.
Among them was acclaimed dancer and choreographer Ramli Ibrahim.
“I think it is about time that everybody knows that climate change and environmental degradation are one of the most important driving forces in our lives now.
“We know that in the recent floods, the situation was exacerbated by logging.
“And I think there are a lot of amendments and a lot of things that one needs to do - in terms of fines and punishments - to those who transgress (the law),” he told Malaysiakini when met.
Award-winning architect and former Malaysian Institute of Architects president Jimmy Lim also participated in the march.
“When you chop trees, do you replant them? We don't replant them.
“What do all these loggers do? What does the government do? They sell the land for people to make palm oil,” he lamented.
Today’s march saw a group of about 50 people.
There was a significant police presence at the Istana Negara entrance, including officers from the light strike force, but there were no clashes between police and march participants. - Mkini
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