Gazetting of Perak's Kg Gula mangrove swamp in final stage

IPOH: The plan to gazette the mangrove swamp in Kuala Gula, near Kampung Dew, Taiping as a permanent forest reserve to protect the firefly habitat is now in its final stage.

Perak Tourism Committee chairman Tan Kar Hing said a “huge part” of the swamp would be gazetted and the plan was now being finalised before being presented at the state executive council meeting.

“I am not sure how big the (final) area will be, but we will gazette a big part of the swamp.

“The state is now waiting on the technical aspects, like the measurement of the river and a report on the firefly habitat there.

“We don’t have an exact timeframe, but we will try to do it as soon as possible. I'll also go down there to visit the area,” he told reporters after opening a travel fair here on Friday (Feb 22).

Tan was commenting on reports that several berembang or mangrove apple trees, the habitat of the fireflies along the Sepetang River, near the mangrove swamp, had been felled.

Seven trees were reportedly found to have been chopped down on Sunday (Feb 17).

A police report was made by the Kampung Dew Fireflies Jetty Operator Association, which also demanded that the state expedite the gazetting of the area.

“I've read about it. I understood that it was done illegally by farmers to expand their farms,” said Tan.

On another unrelated matter, he said the “Hop-On Hop-Off” bus service would undergo its third and final simulation on Saturday (Feb 23).

“We have already got approval from the Road Transport Department and other relevant agencies.

“We want to use this last simulation to test it during peak hours,” he said.

The services will start at the Amanjaya Bus Terminal, passing through the Ipoh High Court, Little India, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, Jalan Sultan Iskandar and back to the terminal.

The entire trip is estimated to cover a distance of about 27km and last about one hour.