Why is Malaysia allowing forest-destroying mining to take place in a forest reserve?

One of the beautiful waterfalls found at Gunung Stong State Park in Kelantan. The park is part of the Dabong district in which environmentally-destructive mining will be allowed to take place unless people raise objections. — 123rf.com

Deep in the Kelantan hinterland, by the small town of Dabong, are pristine forests, majestic mountains, cascading waterfalls and mysterious caves, as well as rare wildlife and flora such as the giant Rafflesia. Here you can find Gunung Stong State Park, cited as one of the country’s top ecotourism destinations for its natural beauty, with its lofty peaks and seven-tier waterfall with a 990m drop.

Not far from this vicinity, in the Dabong district of the Jentiang forest reserve area, plans are afoot for a gold mining project spanning nearly 200ha – about the size of 185 football fields. News about the project surfaced last month when its environmental impact assessment (EIA) was released for public viewing by the Department of Environment.