‘Kledang Saiong obtained logging approval’

IPOH: The reappearance of an old photograph on social media claiming that logging activities were being carried out at a permanent forest reserve in Perak, has prompted the state Forestry Department to come out with a clarification.

First, the photo uploaded on social media was an old photo taken in 2019 that had been recirculated by netizens, said the department’s director Datuk Mohamed Zin Yusop.

In Perak, there were about 987,000ha of area gazetted as permanent forest reserves under the National Forestry Act 1984, he added.

These permanent forest reserves are managed based on the principles of Sustainable Forest Management.

“For that purpose, these permanent forest reserves are classified into production forests (51%) and protection forests (49%).

“Production forests are for the purpose of producing forest products including sustainable timber production through logging activities.

“While forest protection is for the purpose of environmental conservation, raw water supply, wildlife protection and others,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Mohamed Zin was referring to a post on social media on logging activities at the Kledang Saiong Forest Reserve tagged “Hutan Simpan pun boleh dapat lesen untuk tarah” (even forest reserves can get licences for logging).

He said the forest shown in the photos was classified as production forests where logging approval of 80ha was given by the state authority in 2018.

He added that logging activities were carried out through the issuance of a licence in 2019 that expired in 2020.

“Logging activities were carried out in accordance with procedures and rules set by the department.

“Thus the department is of the view that the complainant is confused over the term ‘Permanent Forest Reserve’ which in his opinion (specifies that) logging activities cannot be carried out.

“His assumption is inaccurate because under the production classification in these forests, logging can be carried out in accordance with the procedures and conditions,” he added.