NGO urges public to object against proposed cemetery in Kampar forest area

IPOH: An environmental non-governmental organisation is urging the public to object against a 60.38ha private Chinese cemetery project earmarked at a hill slope of Gunung Bujang Melaka in Kampar.

Eco-tourism and Conservation Society Malaysia (Ecomy) president and chief executive officer Andrew Sebastian said several protected species of wildlife had been sighted in the primary forest in Gunung Bujang Melaka.

He said the under the proposal, there were plans to convert the project area from forest into a commercial zone.

“Why the need to clear natural forests when there is so much idle and flat land available for cemeteries?

“If everybody requests for hills to be converted to cemeteries, there goes our hills.

“There are already two existing cemeteries — one public and another a private one near the area, so what is the purpose of having another one there?” he asked.

Sebastian said he hoped people from Perak, especially those from the district, would quickly go to the Kampar District Council to object to the project before Sept 5.

“The public hearing is set for Sept 5 at 9am, and thus we need as many people to object to the project to save our forests.

“Not many people know about the public hearing and the objection process to stop the project, ” he added.

When contacted, state Forestry Department director Datuk Mohamed Zin Yusop said the area was not part of a forest reserve, and that the land belonged to the state government.

“Although it is classified as a forest zone, it is not gazetted as a forest reserve, ” he added.