KUALA LUMPUR: The crux of the issue in the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve is legal logging and not illegal ones as pointed out by the federal government.
Environmental watchdog Rimbawatch said an action recognised as legal does not absolve the government of the need to review it especially where such legal action may have led to pollution.
It said they are concerned that the relevant authorities are attempting to sweep this issue under the carpet by saying that there is no illegal logging, while not acting on, or being transparent about the issue of legal logging in the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve.
This is in response to Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad who said there is no illegal logging or forest exploration activities that have occurred near protected areas in the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve and led to pollution in the water catchment area.
"The response that there is no illegal logging in does not address our concerns. RimbaWatch has in fact recognised that illegal logging is not an issue of concern in Malaysia as the majority of deforestation occurring across forest reserves in Malaysia is legal.
"If there is no illegal logging in the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve, then it openly implies that there is legal logging happening. We have attached evidence of logging as seen based on data from Global Forest Watch (GFW), clearly indicating deforestation alerts for 2023 occurring within the boundaries of the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve.
"This evidence proves the fact that logging, whether legal or not, has been taking place in the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve since 2021 and unless the Forestry Department or a relevant
ministry can show clear evidence that proves the contrary, such presence of logging activities is a simple yet indisputable fact," it said in a statement.
It added that legal logging in compartments 122 and 40 of the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve is not being adequately monitored by citing Sirim's 2023 audit report of the Kedah Forest Management Unit.
"We are deeply disappointed that the Federal and Kedah state governments have failed to appropriately and effectively address our findings and concerns.
On Jan 21, environmental group RimbaWatch claimed that logging in the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve had caused pollution in the water catchment area.
A study conducted by the group through satellite imaging found silt deposits in the water catchment area in March last year, and the deposits had built up in October last year.
The problem is expected to affect about 80 per cent of Penang's water source, which depends entirely on the water catchment area that flows into Sungai Muda.