5,994 football fields of forest reserve may soon be timber plantation

Separating Kuala Kangsar and Ipoh lies the Kledang Saiong Forest Reserve in Perak where plans to convert a large swathe of it into a forest timber plantation are brewing, estimated to begin this year.

With a total of 4,280 hectares, roughly the size of 5,994 football fields, the project seeks to use the area for the development and operation of a plantation for up to 50 years.

The Department of Environment (DOE) announced on Dec 28 last year that it is reviewing an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the project, which is open for public viewing until Jan 26. Public feedback for the project will close on Feb 10.

According to the EIA report sighted by Malaysiakini, the project aims to plant forest products in the form of timber - with Eucalyptus, Khaya and Kelampayan being its top choices.

The project is broken down into several compartments to be developed and managed by four project proponents. Syarikat Sri Kruing Sdn Bhd is awarded the largest area of land at 1,329ha.

This is closely followed by Rimba Kembara Sdn Bhd at 1,280ha, Rimbun Cengal Sdn Bhd (1,071ha) and Seri Tualang Sdn Bhd (600ha).

The EIA states that the area is currently classified as a Rank 2 environmentally sensitive area, which allows for sustainable logging and low-impact tourism but not physical development and agricultural activities.

The site, which totals 38.9 percent of the size of Kledang Saiong Forest Reserve, would have to be fully cleared if the project is approved.

Located primarily on the west of Kledang Saiong Forest Reserve, closer to Kuala Kangsar, the forest is a known roaming habitat for several protected and endangered wildlife.

The EIA found there were two critically endangered species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List that called the forest reserve home - namely, the helmeted hornbill and Asian brown tortoise.

It is also the habitat for 11 endangered species including the Asian tapir, siamang, blue-winged leafbird, and Malaysian box turtle, as well as 10 vulnerable species such as the Malayan sun bear, clouded leopard, leopard cat, and wreathed hornbill.

Meanwhile, situated 200 metres northwest of Seri Tualang Sdn Bhd’s proposed site compartments is Kampung Orang Asli Bukit Chermin, with a population of over 200.

Several concerns were raised by villagers about their livelihood, as the forest reserve provides their source of income, water supply, food and is used for their daily consumption.

The EIA notes a loss of non-timber forest product collection activities by the Orang Asli community, who sell products that include Kelulut honey, herbs such as tongkat ali, rattan, and vegetables from the forest.

According to a valuation exercise, the average annual value of these collections is estimated at RM1,753,447.63 a year, which is anticipated to decline over the duration of the project.

The village’s development and security committee chairperson also cited a concern over human-wildlife contact which has been experienced due to other logging project areas in the area.

The EIA states that mitigating measures to avoid this would include the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) capturing these animals and translocating them.

Kampung Bukit Chermin is already facing the impact from another logging site situated 500m northeast of the village.

Checks by Malaysiakini discovered that the process of clearing the land at the logging site - which is separate from the project covered under the EIA - had started since October last year.

A timelapse of satellite imagery shows land clearing just east of Kampung Bukit Chermin, which is separate from the project covered under the EIA.

While it was initially speculated to be part of the forest reserve, Perak Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad clarified yesterday that it was a privately-owned land situated 1.5km from the forest reserve’s boundary, New Straits Times reported.

The Department of Environment later confirmed with Malaysiakini that this logging site is located outside of the Kledang Saiong forest reserve.

Meanwhile, a social survey was conducted among local communities nearby the proposed site, with a total of 83 respondents.

Of these respondents, 17 people, or 20.5 percent, were from Kampung Orang Asli Bukit Chermin, with others being from neighbouring villages such as Kampung Bendang Kering, Kampung Sayong Hulu, Kampung Pauh and Kampung Bukit Lada, among others.

According to survey results in the EIA, 51.9 percent of the respondents were against the implementation of the project, 24.1 percent of respondents were unsure about their stance on the implementation of the project, 19.3 percent of respondents agreed with it and 4.8 percent had no comment.

The proposed plantation project has also raised the concern of several environmental groups who have called on the state authorities to reject the proposal.

Rimba Disclosure Project (RDP) director Adam Farhan highlighted that due to the forest reserve being an environmentally sensitive area (ESA), Rank 2 only reduced impact logging can be conducted within the areas.

“Both development and any plantations are not allowed to be established in these areas. Further, only reduced impact logging can be conducted within these areas – which is clearly inconsistent with the project’s plan to clear-cut, terrace and establish plantations on an area which is nearly the same size as Putrajaya,” he said in a statement.

Labelling the EIA as an “an ill-disguised greenwashing scheme”, he said that plantations cannot be regarded as forests, let alone forest reserves.

“There is no precedent for the authorities to refer to these plantations as forests, as the widely accepted FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation) definition of a forest excludes areas predominantly used for agriculture,” he said.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) field officer Meor Razak Meor Abdul Rahman also expressed overall disapproval of forest plantations, denying the EIA’s claim that it would reduce pressure on the raw material supply to Malaysia’s timber industry.

Meor claimed that the vast forest plantation projects are carried out without control, despite standard operating procedures set by the relevant authorities.

“Based on RDP’s data, the primary driver of deforestation in Peninsular Malaysia are forest plantations themselves, and based on our preliminary data, up to 70 percent of deforestation can be attributed to these.

“How can forest plantations reduce pressure on forests when they are themselves the primary pressure?

“There is no way for the proponent to justify this project, and for the authorities to continue approving and promoting forest plantations. The project and the entire forest plantation scheme must be abandoned with immediate effect, and be remembered as nothing more than a mistake that should never be repeated,” said Farhan. - Mkini