KOTA BARU: The Kelantan Orang Asli Villages Network (JKOAK) believes that the uncontrolled land clearing for development and plantation projects in the state are the reason for increased human-wildlife conflict.
Its chairman Mustafa Along said JKOAK also believed that the activities are still on-going, especially in permanent forest reserves in Gua Musang.
He said the uncontrolled land clearing is forcing wildlife to leave their natural habitat and this is putting the lives of the Orang Asli in danger.
"The widespread deforestation and encroachment of animal habitats is forcing wild animals like tigers and elephants to enter many Orang Asli villages to search for food.
"The clearing and illegal logging activities being carried out does not only affect wildlife but also the Orang Asli community as they cannot go out to find food," he said.
Yesterday, environmental non-governmental organisation Sahabat Alam Malaysia had claimed that illegal logging activities was still rampant in a few permanent forest reserves in Kelantan.
Its representative, Meor Razak Meor Abdul Rahman, said he believed the activities mostly were held in the forests in Gua Musang.
He suspected loggers who were given licences by the state government to plant various types of trees have breached the rules by carrying out illegal logging activities.
"Several NGOs went on the ground to investigate this after receiving many complaints from the Orang Asli on illegal logging activities being held in the forest reserves. They found that clearing activities are widely taking place there and this includes in the reserve areas along the river.
"The state government is planning to clear some forests to turn them into plantations but the river reserves still need to be preserved," he said.