MACC: Illegal land clearing in all sub-districts

PETALING JAYA: Illegal land clearing in Cameron Highlands is not limited to just one area but include all its sub-districts.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy chief commissioner Datuk Mustafar Ali said it had become more rampant due to the lack of action.

Holders of Temporary Occupancy Licences (TOLs) have also been found to have cleared areas larger than that stipulated in their permits.

“The offences committed by permit holders have been allowed to go on for too long without any action being taken, resulting in difficulties to handle the problem now.

“There needs to be firm and coordinated action by all related parties to prevent the further destruction of the environment,” Mustafar said in a statement.

He said among the problems that the commission had identified was the existence of “lightning contractors” comprising Malaysians and foreigners who only carried out illegal land clearing during weekends and public holidays to avoid detection.

Mustafar said the MACC had submitted 12 recommendations to overcome the illegal and excessive land clearing in Cameron Highlands during Pahang’s state-level National Security Council meeting on July 22.

The recommendations call for a joint effort by all authorities to prevent any space for corruption, abuse of power and overcome administrative weaknesses in the enforcement and management of land in the area.

“A major measure that is very much needed to be included is the amendment to related laws,” Mustafar said.

He said Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob, who chaired the state-level meeting, had welcomed the recommendations and told the commission that the matter would be brought to the state executive council for follow-up action.

The recommendations are to:

> Re-examine the policy of giving TOLs;

> Draw up a clearer policy on land development in Cameron High­lands;

> Set up controls on foreign workers in the area;

> Separate the jurisdiction of the Cameron Highlands district council and its land office to prevent overlapping powers and grey areas;

> Clearly gazette the area’s permanent forest reserve;

> Clearly gazette the area’s orang asli re-settlement areas;

> Create a taskforce to help ensure more effective enforcement;

> Make it mandatory to put up signages to demarcate forest reserve boundaries;

> Re-evaluate the system and procedures involved in enforcement in the area;

> Implement appropriate administrative actions to smoothen management and enforcement of illegal land clearing activities;

> Set up a certification system to allow the authorities to check who is involved in projects in the area; and

> Set up an effective system to gather complaints and reports on any illegal activities.

Meanwhile, Mustafar said the MACC had also presented its recommendations to its Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel chaired by Tan Sri Johan Jaafar.

“The MACC will also forward these recommendations to the National Integrity Management Committee on Nov 25 as we feel that these issues are also occurring in other places,” he said.

He said the recommendations were vital to prevent it from happening in other areas, resulting in environmental, social and economic problems.

“Illegal loggers and those involved in illegal land clearing must be made to face stiff penalties under the law to prevent the problem in from recurring,” he said.

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