An NGO has called on the Kelantan government and the state’s Forestry Department to provide answers on alleged logging activities by a state-owned company at the Nenggiri Forest Reserve.
Save Kelantan chairperson Husam Musa said he has been posting about the logging on social media since Wednesday, which is more than enough time for a response.
“It has been four days and there has been no denial or response from the Forestry Department or the Kelantan government,” he said during a press conference in Putrajaya today.
Husam (above) made several Facebook postings claiming logging had been carried out at compartment 26 of the Nenggiri Forest Reserve - which is classified as a virgin jungle reserve.
The Amanah leader also claimed the logging concession had been awarded to Daulah Najah Sdn Bhd, a state-owned company.
Husam said the state government must explain how much timber the company had extracted from the Nenggiri Forest Reserve, and how much they are earning from it.
‘No illegal logging’
When contacted, Kelantan exco Hanipa Ahmad - who is also a Daulah Najah director - said there was no illegal logging in the area.
He said the location was part of the planned Nenggiri hydroelectric dam area, where logging was permitted.
“There is no issue of illegal encroachment. If there was, the police would make arrests,” he told Malaysiakini.
As for Kelantan Forestry Department director Abdul Khalim Abdul Samah, he said that he was not at liberty to comment.
“The state government does not allow me to comment on any forest issues,” he said to Malaysiakini.
RM5m timber ‘stolen’
Besides logging at compartment 26, Husam alleged that timber was also “stolen” from the neighbouring compartment 25 - amounting to a loss of around RM5 million.
However, he said tracking down whoever stole the timber would be easy, as authorities would only need to track down who rented or owned the machinery used to log the area.
“So you can find out who stole it, the state government should launch an immediate investigation, deny, or confirm my reports, or they can issue a media statement regarding this as the amount in losses is significant, at around RM5 million at least,” he added.
Husam claimed the timber from compartment 25 has been seized by the Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Department. - Mkini
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