Kelantan's proposed changes to forests in publicity stage

The proposed changes involving environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) in Kelantan are still in the publicity and public participation phase which runs from Oct 11 to Nov 11, said Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Mohamed Fadzli Hassan.

He said the proposed changes were made so development in the state could be coordinated while ensuring water catchment areas would continue to be protected.

“We will provide further information about the matter after the publicity and public participation stage is completed,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after officiating the 23rd Convocation Ceremony of Kolej Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Sultan Ismail Petra (Kias) in Kota Bharu today.

Yesterday, Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the government would stop allocations for the Ecological Fiscal Transfer for Biodiversity Conservation (EFT) to Kelantan if the state continued with the proposed changes.

He said the proposed changes were not in line with the principles underlying the implementation of EFT, which is an additional financial incentive from the federal government to state governments introduced in 2019 to protect and conserve protected areas, including ESAs, for biological diversity.

According to Nik Nazmi, the Kelantan government’s move to make changes to its development plan involving ESAs would affect the federal government’s policy to achieve 50 percent forested area in Peninsular Malaysia in line with the National Physical Plan.

He said the state government, during its state executive council meeting on Oct 21, decided that permanent forest reserves, except water catchment areas, would no longer be classified as ESAs.

- Bernama