Anwar wants govt to reveal list of logging licenses approved

 

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has urged the relevant ministry to reveal all the logging licenses approved by state governments within the past five years.

Anwar called for the disclosure as he said flooding in states such as Pahang is not just due to the heavy rain but is also related to excessive logging activities.

“Parliament should be given information by the relevant minister about all the logging licenses approved by the state governments because this information is under the monitoring of the ministry.

“Whether the approvals were given in accordance with the regulations and all that, that is another question. But we want to know the number of approved licenses in the past five years, for example, and this includes for Pahang,” Anwar said during the special parliamentary meeting today to discuss the flood disasters that happened last December.

While there is no denying the existence of illegal logging activities, he said there also needs to be stricter policies among state governments about approving logging licenses.

“The minister can answer that this is the state government’s business, but the state government will say we need the funding. To hell with people’s houses, let them die, let their houses be washed away, for the sake of the economy.

“There must be a solution and a strict monitoring policy,” he said, adding that the government also must explain why it approved so many logging licenses.

Opposition Anwar Ibrahim calling for a moratorium on logging activities in Parliament today

As a stop-gap measure, Anwar suggested a moratorium to stop all logging activities, including those that have already been approved until their effects can be studied.

He urged state governments to stop issuing new logging licenses to anyone, regardless of their background.

The government must take a firmer stand and take action against logging companies, who he said earned around RM18 billion a year from timber exports.

“When there are victims who incur losses due to the floods, these logging companies should be forced to pay compensation, not just the government. Don’t let them say that they’ve paid their taxes. They did not pay taxes to destroy people’s houses or to cause floods.

“If we do not do something, it will make us seem like we are being lenient towards the upper class. These well-off groups will not be burdened even though they are the ones who destroyed the houses of the poor.

“I want to see the bravery of the Malay leaders, do they dare and are they willing to take stern action to defend the welfare of the lower-income groups,” Anwar said. - Mkini