IPOH: Environmentalists today urged the state government not to approve the mining lease application by a cement company at Gunung Kanthan here.
The non-governmental organisations (NGOs) including Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM), Sahabat Alam Activists' Association, Perak Natural Heritage Geopark Tour Guides' Association and Kinta Valley Watch, have jointly expressed concern about the risk as it posed a grave threat to the area's endemic flora and fauna.
SAM field researcher Meor Razak Meor Abdul Rahman said to date the state government had extended the ownership lease of the land to the company.
"We are frustrated that the ownership lease had been extended. This, despite knowing that Gunung Kanthan is one of the geological heritage geoparks comprising limestone hills in the Kinta Valley National Geopark," he told reporters when met at the D'Lereng Adventure Camp in Chepor here today.
Meor Razak said as of now, parts of Gunung Kanthan have already been destroyed, namely Area A and B, while Areas C and D, which are home to critically endangered flora and fauna, were still intact.
"Among the endemic flora species found in the area categorised as critically endangered are Meiogye kanthanensis, Gymnostachyum kanthanensis and Vatica kanthanensi,
"While the endemic fauna categorised as critically endangered are a prehistoric spider, Liphistius kanthanensi, and a lizard called Cytrodactylus guakanthanensis," he said.
Menteri Besar Perak Datuk Saarani Mohamad, when contacted, said he would check the matter with the Perak Lands and Mines Office for further details.
Meor Razak also claimed that a company had put in an application for quarrying on a 122 hectare land at the Segari-Melintang Forest Reserve in Manjung.
"There are already several quarry sites at the area which have caused destruction to the environment there.
"In 2014, the National Land Council had passed a resolution that all state authorities should take the initiative to control or prevent any approval for logging or quarrying in permanent forest reserves.
"I hope the state government will not approve such an application as the land is located at the coastal area as well as near the turtle landing site," he added.