Officials unaware of illegal logging activities
Copyright 2000 New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad
October 31, 2000
THE State Government was unaware of any illegal forest-clearing activity on State land because no official reports were lodged.
State Planning, Finance and Public Administration Committee chairman Takiyuddin Hassan (Pas-Bunut Payung) said that the State Government had not been informed of the existence of such an activity.
He said the State Government would act accordingly when it received more information regarding the illegal clearing of forest on State-owned land.
He said this in response to a supplementary question from Mohd Yusof Abdullah (Pas-Bukit Tuku) who wanted to know if the claim made by certain quarters in 1998 that a large tract of forest in Kelantan had been cleared was true.
However, Takiyuddin admitted that such activity was carried out, but was by intruders and not by licenced loggers.
"The State Government will take appropriate action so that the problem will not recur," he said.
He also said the State Government did not grant logging concessions to any company in areas earmarked as water catchment areas.
Meanwhile, Takiyuddin said the State Government had adopted a "quick tender" system in issuing logging licence as it brought immediate revenue to the administration.
He said that through the system, a company bidding for the tender would be required to deposit a bank draft.
Once the licence was issued, the State Government would be able to immediately collect the money.
He said State Government had managed to issue 130 logging licences in a year under this system.
"This is a very high achievement when compared to other States," he said.
He said this in response to the original question from Md Anizam Abdul Rahman (Pas-Kemahang), who wanted to know if logging activity required a certain period to achieve an optimum production.
Takiyuddin said logging activity was productive during the dry season which stretched for six months in a year.
In this respect, Takiyuddin said that the Forestry Department had taken the necessary measures to earmark areas suitable for logging.