Kedah MB urged to ensure Gunung Raya stays green in perpetuity

 

Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has been urged to promise that the Gunung Raya forest reserve will forever be protected from logging or quarrying activities.

In a statement yesterday, Langkawi Pejuang youth chief Alif Aiman Azman said this was necessary to protect Langkawi from floods and landslides.

Alif said this was also necessary to fulfil obligations to Langkawi’s status as a Unesco Global Geopark.

“If logging or quarrying activities are allowed to be carried out in the future, it will threaten the unique flora and fauna in gunung raya,” he said.

Alif said the Langkawi Pejuang youth wing had initiated a petition to save Gunung Raya which has garnered 13,560 signatures so far.

This petition, he said, has been submitted to the Langkawi district and land office.

In March, Sanusi had told the Kedah legislative assembly that he had never issued any logging or quarrying licences for Gunung Raya.

Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor

However, he said a quarrying licence involving 19 hectares was issued on April 23, 2020 for Compartments 11 and 12.

At the material time, the Kedah menteri besar was Mukhriz Mahathir. - Mkini