Pahang's green border initiative to expand forest reserve - KeTSA

KUALA LUMPUR, July 9  -- The Pahang state government’s Tasik Chini Green Border and Biosphere Reserve initiative fulfils the resolution under the National Land Council to intensify efforts to expand forest reserve, said Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah.

Shamsul Anuar said it was also in line with the Malaysian Forestry Policy, which recognised forests as national treasures, adding that its implementation was proof of the state government’s commitment to preserving and conserving the environment.

“The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (KeTSA) welcomes and fully supports the Pahang state government's green boundary initiative which will involve the gazetting of most of the state borders as permanent forest reserves (HSK).

“This can also indirectly correct the negative perception regarding state-level biodiversity management as media reports often give an inaccurate picture of forest management and biodiversity in Malaysia. Such a situation is worrying if it is not handled well,” he said in a statement today.

He was commenting on the statement made by Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail that the state government would take immediate action to realise the Green Border initiative and Tasik Chini Biosphere Reserve (TCBR) under UNESCO.

Shamsul Anuar said the Green Border initiative would support the country's commitment to maintaining 50 per cent of its land area as forest cover, a pledge made at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 as well as at the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2009.

"The areas that will be gazetted as HSK under this initiative will be gazetted in the Protected Forest category under Subsections 10 (b) to 10 (l) of the National Forestry Act 1984,” he said adding that hunting would also be prohibited in these areas under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716).

“Currently, most of the existing HSK in Pahang have been listed as hunting prohibited areas,” he added.

“The gazetting of HSK as a full wildlife protection area under Section 10, National Forestry Act (Act 313), will not only provide protection to the apex predator species of Harimau Malaya (through the declaration of a tiger conservation centre in Pahang) but will be able to protect all wildlife species and the ecosystem balance,” he said.

He said KeTSA and the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia would provide support to help speed up the rehabilitation efforts through tree planting activities in a 200-hectare mining area using the allocations under the Forest Development Fund.

"KeTSA will continue to cooperate with the Pahang state government in the efforts to preserve and conserve the forest and its biological diversity for the benefit of present and future generations," he said.

-- BERNAMA