PEKAN: Tasik Chini, Malaysia’s second-largest freshwater lake here, is likely to be gazetted as a state park and forest reserve to make it a recreational destination of choice for both local and foreign tourists.
Pahang tourism, culture, environment, plantations and commodities committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin said therefore, the state government would stop all mining and logging activities around Tasik Chini to enable the rehabilitation process to take place.
He said the state executive council also agreed for Tasik Chini --- famous for its legend of the dragon and beautiful lotus flowers --- to be gazetted as a permanent forest reserve so that “it cannot be tampered with or destroyed at will.”
“Steps to gazette this area need to be taken so that the future generation can still enjoy the beauty of nature, in pristine condition, free from logging and mining activities.
“This effort, which begins now, will enable Tasik Chini to recover within the next 10 to 20 years,” he said during a press conference after launching the state-level 2020 National Environment Day Celebration programme at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Chini Lake Research Centre.
Also present were Pahang’s Tourism director Datuk Ishak Mokhtar, Environment Department director Mohd Sani Mat Daud and Broadcasting Department director Ariffin Awang.
Aware of the potential and importance of Tasik Chini --- both for tourism and as a national treasure, the Pahang government had earlier drawn up various initiatives to restore the lake’s “glory”.
The initiative to restore the lake began last year when, on March 13, Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail announced that the state executive council had agreed to gazette 4,498ha of the lake as a Permanent Forest Reserve.
To address the mining problem there, the state government had also drawn up a special policy for mining activities, which among others, would not approve new mining lease in the area around Tasik Chini. — Bernama
Pahang tourism, culture, environment, plantations and commodities committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin said therefore, the state government would stop all mining and logging activities around Tasik Chini to enable the rehabilitation process to take place.
He said the state executive council also agreed for Tasik Chini --- famous for its legend of the dragon and beautiful lotus flowers --- to be gazetted as a permanent forest reserve so that “it cannot be tampered with or destroyed at will.”
“Steps to gazette this area need to be taken so that the future generation can still enjoy the beauty of nature, in pristine condition, free from logging and mining activities.
“This effort, which begins now, will enable Tasik Chini to recover within the next 10 to 20 years,” he said during a press conference after launching the state-level 2020 National Environment Day Celebration programme at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Chini Lake Research Centre.
Also present were Pahang’s Tourism director Datuk Ishak Mokhtar, Environment Department director Mohd Sani Mat Daud and Broadcasting Department director Ariffin Awang.
Aware of the potential and importance of Tasik Chini --- both for tourism and as a national treasure, the Pahang government had earlier drawn up various initiatives to restore the lake’s “glory”.
The initiative to restore the lake began last year when, on March 13, Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail announced that the state executive council had agreed to gazette 4,498ha of the lake as a Permanent Forest Reserve.
To address the mining problem there, the state government had also drawn up a special policy for mining activities, which among others, would not approve new mining lease in the area around Tasik Chini. — Bernama
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