Tasik Kenyir: Don't be confused over effects of logging and heavy rain, says Terengganu MB

KUALA TERENGGANU: All parties are advised not to be confused over the cause of murky water in Tasik Kenyir, Ulu Terengganu, whether it’s logging activities or the spate of heavy rain.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said all forest and logging activities were bound by the set conditions including a suitable distance between the logging area and body of water.

"This measure is taken as a condition to ensure no pollution due to logging.

"Lets not be confused over the issue of murky water as when it rains, water flows from the hills and down to the lakes or rivers. These are two different things that have no connection with logging.”

He said this after the handing-out of the arrears in allowance for the imam and muezzins of the district mosques in Terengganu at Wisma Darul Iman, here, Wednesday (Sept 14).

This followed news reports today claiming that the water at the Sungai Lasir Waterfall recreation forest at Tasik Kenyir is murky believed due to logging activities at a nearby area.

Ahmad Samsuri said he himself had an aerial view of the said area and noticed that a landslide had occurred but it had no connection with logging.

"Remember the recent incident where timber logs had come tumbling down due to the flood but some people claimed that it was due to logging but actually, it was a landslide on a hill which also brought down the trees.

"We’ve always been communicating with the Forestry Department to address any such emerging issue,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Samsuri said the state government was in a state of preparedness in facing the northeast monsoon season which was expected to start in November.

He said that last Monday, the state government received a monetary allocation and certain assets from the Federal Government and National Disaster Management Agency.

On another development, Ahmad Samsuri said the state government today approved an allocation of RM242,925 for five imam and seven muezzins who were eligible for the arrears in allowance.

The arrears had been unsettled since 2005 until 2018 due to a few factors including political differences during the time of the previous state government. - Bernama