KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 — The natural resources and environment ministry will set up a special team with the respective state governments to look into the destruction of forests and hill slopes in the country.
Its minister, Datuk Seri G. Palanivel (pic) said the ministry had plans to save forests and hill slopes from destruction as preventive measures were better than remedial work.
Noting that there was rampant and careless destruction (involving virgin forests and land clearing) in the Cameron Highlands, and other areas including Sabah and Sarawak, he said they had to be stopped immediately.
“The environment in Cameron Highlands needs urgent attention and should be safeguarded. Destruction of forests and hills have become a major problem,” he said in a statement here today.
Palanivel, who is also MIC president, was commenting on an English daily report which highlighted rampant land clearing in the Cameron Highlands, which began less than a month ago.
According to the report, this included the felling of 40ha of virgin forests, with the bulk of the ravaging at Pos Terisu spanning at least four valleys and hills flattened for farmers to plant vegetables.
Palanivel noted that due to the damage to hill slopes, water quality had deteriorated and there were constant soil erosions and landslides.
“Many people’s lives are affected because they rely on rivers which are their water source. Many orang asli villages, too, rely on rivers for their water source. Thus, the ministry has some plans in line to save forests and hill slopes from being destroyed as preventive measures are better than remedial work,” he said.
— BERNAMA
