‘Land clearing causing environmental damage’

RAUB: The land clearing at the Hulu Teranum Forest Reserve, carried out by an unnamed government agency for the past 10 months, could create environmental damage and adversely affect surrounding population, says a nature protection organisation.
Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia (Peka) president, Puan Sri Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil said the work, which involves 145.9ha of the forest reserve sitting at 500m above the sea level, on the foot of the famed Fraser Hill, raises some "questions".
The land clearing is purportedly part of a rubber tree planting project for the Sungai Delam orang asli of Mukim Tras.
"It doesn't make sense since we all know the orang asli prefer to hunt and gather forest produce such as honey, rattan and resin around where they live. They don't even touch the rubber plantation near their homes, let alone large plantations on the highlands."
"Peka is concerned that if the project continues, it will pollute Sungai Delam. It is the district's only river graded as 'Class 1' and acts as a freshwater supply for the orang asli and surrounding areas," she said, after visiting the area today.
She added Sungai Delam is also a source of eco-tourism to resort operators in the area, which includes her own resort, "Tanah Aina Farrah Sofiya".
"Many local and foreign tourists visit this district due to its clear, clean and unpolluted river, and also the unspoilt forest teeming with a wide variety of flora and fauna.
"Imagine if the project continues ... the river will be murky and polluted, for a start, and have a negative impact on the tourist numbers and Raub's image as an eco-tourim destination.
Shariffa Sabrina wants the state government to look into the matter because Peka believes that the parties carrying out the project have "certain agendas" since the forest is rich in untapped valuable resources.
Meanwhile, fish breeder Mun Chee Kin, 58, whose business depends solely on Sungai Delam, says the project could be damaging to it.
"I have been breeding fish here for nearly seven years and 80% of the water supply is from Sungai Delam. If the project continues, it will surely affect my 30 tilapia ponds," said Mun, who supplies the fish to markets in the Klang Valley. — Bernama