IPOH: Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) has welcomed the decision by Perak’s Local Inquiry and Hearing Committee (JSTP) to unanimously reject the proposed conversion of forest land near the Meru Valley Golf Club.
Its field officer Meor Razak Meor Abdul Rahman said SAM was encouraged by Perak housing and local government committee chairman Sandrea Ng’s statement that the forest’s status would remain unchanged and would not be converted for residential or agricultural use.
“However, SAM hopes that Perak Mentri Besar Saarani Mohamad, who is also chairman of the State Planning Committee, will formally finalise and uphold the JSTP’s decision that the state authority will not approve the proposed land-use conversion or boundary change.
“To prevent any future rezoning, we proposed during the JSTP meeting that the forest zoning and land use be maintained, and that the area be re-gazetted as a protected area, particularly as a Permanent Reserved Forest, as well as under the Land Conservation Act,” he said.
Residents and non-governmental organisations, including SAM, had earlier raised concerns during the JSTP hearing over the project’s environmental impact and the potential displacement of wildlife. The proposal involved altering the boundary of Planning Block 8 to Minor Planning Block 4.5 at Lot 559526, covering 18.62ha (46 acres).
Public objections were submitted during the participation period from Oct 1 to Oct 31, 2025.
Parti Sosialis Malaysia chairman Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj said he was relieved and pleased with the decision but stressed that broader environmental issues remained unresolved.
“Cancelling one project involving about 18.62ha does not address erosion, siltation and sedimentation, as there are many other housing and development projects upstream that have already been approved or are in the pipeline,” he said.
He described sedimentation as the core issue, calling for systematic monitoring of sediment levels, including regular measurements from bridges and transparent reporting of findings.
Dr Jeyakumar also urged the authorities to introduce a clear dredging plan, funded through an environmental fee imposed on all developers, to support river monitoring and maintenance works.
He also proposed the formation of an independent state-level committee to oversee approvals for logging and mining projects in forest areas.
“This committee must be independent of the State Executive, empowered to pause project approvals and refer matters to the state assembly (DUN) for full debate, and be adequately funded to function effectively,” he said.
On environmental impact assessments (EIA), he called for reforms to existing procedures, proposing that EIA consultants be appointed by the Environment Department rather than project proponents.
“Developers should instead pay a fee to the department, based on project size, for the assessment to be conducted independently,” he added.
