Negri Sembilan not issuing logging licences this year

SEREMBAN: No logging licences will be issued in Negri Sembilan this year, says Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun.

He said the decision might reduce the state’s annual revenue by RM5mil, but they could do without it.

"Although there are areas where the trees have matured and can be harvested, we are not going to issue any licences.

"It may reduce our annual revenue but we can make do without that for now," he told reporters after chairing the state exco meeting at Wisma Negri.

Aminuddin said the exco decided against issuing it although it was allowed to do so, adding that the move was to preserve the forests and also a precaution to prevent flooding due to the inclement weather.

However, he said logging would be permitted in areas where concessions had been awarded in previous years and on privately-owned land.

“The state government is in no position to stop this. There are instances like in Johol where concessions had been awarded previously to individuals and companies.

"Some of them have yet to harvest the timber and they can still do it this year if they wished to as they have already got the approvals," he said.

Separately, Aminuddin said the state Forestry Department and the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) have signed an agreement to continue carrying out research work at the 1,800ha Pasoh Forest Reserve located in Jelebu.

"The plan is to have an international research centre there which will carry out studies on the biodiversity, the rich flora and fauna, the wildlife, soils and other aspects of the lowland tropical forest.

"It will be a centre of excellence with the participation of academics from various local and foreign universities as well as students pursuing post-graduate studies," he said, adding that FRIM has also set aside RM5mil for the purpose.

Aminuddin said the centre was located near Gua Pelangi where an excavation team had previously found artefacts such as stone tools, food remains and evidence of human occupation.

"The area can also become a tourist attraction with plans to have the Kenaboi World Biodiversity Centre nearby," he said adding that a 54m high tree tower-canopy walk with observation platforms had also been built at the Pasoh forest reserve to among others allow researchers carry out their work.