Pahang urged to conduct investigation on illegal logging

An aerial photos shows piles of logs and debris washed up along a riverside on Dec 27, 2021, a week after floods on the outskirts of Karak in Pahang. – AP

KUANTAN: The Pahang government has been urged to conduct an immediate investigation on what was claimed to be illegal and uncontrolled logging in the state.

Pahang PKR communications chief Wan Fauzuldin Wan Samad said the issue of logging, whether it was licensed or not, had often been raised so that it could be controlled and taken seriously by the authorities.

“Recently ... scattered logs were washed away by the water until they piled up in the rivers, adding to the adverse effects of the floods when the river flow was blocked by the logs and pieces of wood. An example of that happened in Telemong,” he said in a statement on Monday (Jan 3).

Wan Fauzuldin said these logs also floated all the way to houses, which happened in Karak.

“We demand that the state government conduct an immediate investigation in a more transparent manner and take stern action against anyone regardless of position, who is proven to have violated rules and laws in logging activities,” said Wan Fauzuldin.

He added that the state government should prioritise the safety of the people.

The Pahang Forestry Department recently said it had not found evidence of any logging activity in the Lentang forest reserve as alleged to be the cause of a flow of wood debris during the recent floods.

The department said a review on the issue of timber piles in Jalan Bentong-Karak near the Karak Road Transport Department weighing station and the Sri Telemong bridge instead found that there were two water surge incidents.