IT HAS been said that Taman Negara is over 130 million years old, and is one of the oldest rainforests in the world.
Is this true?
Verdict:
TRUE
According to The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) World Heritage List, Taman Negara is one of the oldest rainforests in Peninsular Malaysia at over 130 million years old.
It is also the third oldest rainforest in the world, just behind the Borneo Lowland Rainforest in Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia and the Daintree Rainforest in Australia.
The park was originally gazetted as the Gunung Tahan Game Reserve in 1925. In 1939, it became the "King George V National Park" to commemorate the coronation of King George V in England.
After Malaysia gained its independence in 1957, 'Taman Negara' came under the jurisdiction of the King - the Yang di-Pertuan Agong - and the respective Sultans of three states. It was also declared an Asean Heritage Park in 1984.
The total area of the National Park is 434,351ha or 4,343 km2 and straddles the three states, namely Pahang (2,477km2 or 57%), Kelantan 1,043km2 (24%), and Terengganu 853km2 (19%).
The park rests on a massif that is over 2,000m above sea level known as the Tahan Range, and the tallest mountain in Peninsular Malaysia, Gunung Tahan (2,187 m) is its highest peak.
It is considered a hotspot for biodiversity as it houses many species of flora and fauna, most of which are considered endemic, rare, vulnerable, or otherwise threatened.
References:
1. https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5927/
2. https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel/2016/11/taman-negara-the-130-million-year-old-rainforest
3. https://www.tamannegara.asia/
