Dialogue

MAJLIS DAILOG DI ANTARA Y.B. MENTERI SUMBER ASLI DAN ALAM SEKITAR DENGAN PERTUBUHAN-PERTUBUHAN BUKAN KERAJAAAN (NGO) ALAM SEKITAR NAMA PERTUBUHAN: REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS CAMERON HIGHLANDS (R.E.A.C.H.) TARIKH: 22 June 2004 BIL ISU 1 The legal status of the Cameron Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary (64,953ha) gazetted in 1962.

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Cameron Highlands is also protected under the Land Conservation Act 1960.

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Rehabilitation, Restoration and Reforestation of Degraded Montane Forests

PANDANGAN/KOMEN/CADANGAN It is made to understand that the State Government has degazetted the entire protected area, which is gazetted under a federal law. If for any reason Cameron Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary were to be degazetted, this would at one stroke wipe out the protected montane area in the Peninsula by 80%. If so, where is the replacement? REACH would also like to know how the State government had degazetted this area without the approval from the Federal authorities. If this was done illegally, then a detailed investigation is called for. What is the status of the implementation of this Act at the state and local level? During a meeting with the local community Datuk Seri Dr Law Heing Ding for the past 40 years, this Act had been neglected. The Ministry will look into enforcing this Act. REACH would like to get an update on the status of this decision. In January 2003, REACH highlighted to the media on the extensive land clearing and hill slope cutting for a farming project in Blue Valley, Cameron Highlands,

which had defied two stop-work orders issued previously by the District Office. The owner has been charged in court, but the denuded area is now faced with severe soil erosion causing massive amounts of soil and silt being washed into the rivers. This is just an example of many such montane forests areas that is being degraded at a very rapid rate.

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Cabinet Co-ordination Committee on Highlands and Islands Development

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Implementation of the “Study for the Sustainable Development of the Highlands of Peninsular Malaysia” study commissioned by EPU, funded by UNDP.

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Policies on water resources management

REACH would like to enquire on the enforcement of the Land Conservation Act 1960 in this matter. We are not aware of the current status, progress and role of this high level Cabinet Committee. We would like to seek clarification from the Ministry on this matter. We are not aware of the level of implementation of the study completed in August 2002, which was adopted by the Cabinet. On 19 – 21 October 2003, only 5 of the 12 Strategies outlined were discussed in a Seminar Pelaksanaan Strategi Pengurusan dan Pemuliharaan Kawasan Tanah Tinggi in Johor Bharu organized by MOSTE. Indiscriminate forests clearing and rampant development of farm lands have jeopardized the ecological functions of Cameron Highlands as a water catchment area and habitat for biodiversity. REACH urges the relevant agencies involved at the state and local level to address the deteriorating drinking water quality and reducing water quantity. In The Star 22nd June 2004, the issue of water cuts in Cameron Highlands made headlines.

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Aerial monitoring of Cameron Highlands landscape

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Road construction in the highlands.

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Road widening project of Route 59 (Tapah – Cameron Highlans)

REACH will provide details on the drinking water quality during the dialogue if needed. REACH strongly feels that the frequent aerial monitoring done by DOE is a futile attempt! There is numerous illegal land clearing along main roads of Cameron Highlands, which has been brought to the attention of the Local Authorities by REACH. However, it seems that the information from the helicopter monitoring done by DOE, is not translated to ground enforcement. This method of monitoring needs greater inter-agency cooperation. REACH also recommends that satellite imagery be used as a more efficient means to detect and control forest clearing in and around Cameron Highlands. The K. Lipis – Cameron Highlands Highway that is under construction now seem to be causing damage to biodiversity, water resources and also impacts on the local community (Orang Asli). The manner in which the work packages have been approved is inappropriate. In order to minimize the damage caused, REACH recommends that the packages should have been approved in the sequence of 1, 2, and 4, 3 instead of the current 1,2,3,4. REACH questions the role and responsibility of the Cabinet Committee with regards to the issue of road construction in the highlands. REACH feels that there is minimal planning and inadequate monitoring by the relevant agencies of this project. There seems to be many nagging problems ranging from rock falls, casualties (including deaths) and a massive landslide at Km 52, earlier this year

(February 2004). The gradient for most of the road cuts are too steep and the method employed, i.e. cementing of the slopes are inappropriate for the highlands.

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EIA review of mixed development project (Royal Lily Park)

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District level committee to oversee environmental rehabilitation

Despite all that, REACH was made to understand that JKR had obtained ISO certification for this project as a “showcase project” in the highlands. REACH feels that this ISO certification is meaningless until and unless the various environmental issues had been addressed. REACH up to date, has not received any acknowledgement nor response from DOE and the Minister on the comments provided in 2003 on the DEIA on the proposed mixed development on 30 acres of state land in Tanah Rata, under the project proponent Mayang Jelatek Sdn Bhd. In November 2002, REACH was appointed as member of a district level committee to oversee environmental rehabilitation matters focusing on river rehabilitation in Cameron Highlands. This committee was formed on the directive of the Cabinet Coordination Committee on Highlands and Islands. Up todate, REACH has not received any request for meeting, updates on proposed work and future plans.