KUANTAN: The Regent of Pahang, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah, has instructed for the Chini forest reserve in Pekan to be expanded to provide better protection to plants and animals near the lake.
Comptroller of the Royal Household for the Sultan of Pahang, Datuk Ahmad Khirrizal Ab Rahman, in a statement, said Tengku Hassanal, who visited Tasik Chini yesterday, ordered the existing permanent reserve forest measuring 4,600ha to be widened to around 6,000 or 7,000ha.
"Increasing the Chini forest reserve will help safeguard the flora and fauna found near Tasik Chini, and the surrounding areas. Tasik Chini is an environmental jewel in Pahang and the first Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) Biosphere Reserve site in the country… the world-class recognition has to be preserved.
"Being accorded Unesco status, Tasik Chini should be given priority in terms of financial assistance and sustainable development by both the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, and the Environment and Water Ministry," he said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, Khirrizal said the Regent suggested all mining activities at Tasik Chini be ceased and the former mining sites be rehabilitated by planting suitable forest trees.
"Enforcement has to be empowered and carried out in an integrated manner regularly with the involvement of enforcement agencies at both state and federal level. Ongoing rehabilitation and maintenance at the lake by the state and federal governments have to be further intensified," he said.
Khirrizal said the Regent, who was closely following the reports and images of the mining activities at the lake which went viral on social media, had conducted a surprise visit to Tasik Chini yesterday.
"Tengku Hassanal went to see for himself the situation at the lake. The Regent had studied the report presented by Menteri Besar (Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail) on the ongoing rehabilitation efforts by the state government.
"The Regent endorsed the move by the state government to stop issuing new mining approvals since 2019. He hoped all parties regardless of their background, including government agencies, private sector, non-governmental organisations and locals will work together to protect the lake and the Orang Asli community living in the vicinity."
Khirrizal said Tengku Hassanal was concerned and will continuously monitor efforts by the state government to protect the environment and urged all quarters to adopt the environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards so that such natural treasures can be enjoyed by the future generations.
Tasik Chini came under the spotlight last week after news emerged that the Pahang government had given the green light for mining operations in the vicinity of Tasik Chini to a royalty-linked company.
The Orang Asli community, who live near Tasik Chini and rely on the lake as their main source of clean water supply, pleaded with the state government to stop the iron ore mining activities, which had been ongoing for more than a decade
However, on June 12, the State Land and Mines director's office cleared the confusion saying no new mining licences were awarded since March 2019, and there would be zero-mining works near the lake next year once the licence of the two existing operators expired this year.
An area measuring 4,498ha at Tasik Chini, which is equal to the size of 6,000 football fields, was gazetted as a permanent forest reserve in March 2019.