PRESS
RELEASE
IN
KOTA MARUDU, 28 JANUARY 1997
PBS:
ILLEGAL LOGGING IN GANA, TANDEK
KOTA
MARUDU, Tues. - Bandau Member of Parliament Dr Maximus Ongkili
today claimed that illegal logging was taking place in Kampung Gana
of Tandek, about 25 km from here apparently without the knowledge
of the relevant authorities.
He
said the illegal activity had been going on over the last three
months in the pretext of constructing a kampung road between kampung
Gana and kampung Nasapu, a distance of about 8 km apart.
Dr
Ongkili who visited the site yesterday said the road was not constructed
according to specifications in terms of width, slope, drain and
bridge over streams thereby making the constructed road passable
only to logging machinery.
He
claimed that from reports provided by the villagers over 1,000 logs
had been extracted so far and transported to a stumping site in
kampung Talantang seemingly without the knowledge of the Kota Marudu
Forestry Office.
"From
information received from the local District Office and Forestry
Department, apparently a permit to extract logs (Form 2B) was issued
sometime in November 1996 to a logging company which would build
a new road linking kampung Gana and kampung Nasapu.
"Usually
for a project of this kind, specifications for the road construction
must comply with JKR requirements. Furthermore, the construction
company can only take logs within a distance of one and a half (1.5)
chains on either side of the road", he said.
The
PBS deputy president observed that the completed part of the road
was passable only to logging vehicles and not to ordinary road users
to the extent that the road would not be of much use as soon as
the logging trucks leave the scene.
"More
seriously, the construction company which also happens to be a well-known
logging company in the district has felled and taken logs well outside
the three (3) chains limit along the road. In most cases, felling
has taken place as far as half a mile from the constructed
road into the forest as proven by the existence of extensive side
roads and felled tree stumps", he alleged.
Dr
Ongkili has reported the illegal activity this morning to the Kota
Marudu Forestry Department and District Office which both claimed
no knowledge of the problem.
"It
is ridiculous that after a permit to fell logs and build a road
is given, the relevant authorities do not even monitor and check
on the project. When this happens, of course logging companies will
have their free day and do whatever they like", he stressed.
According
to Dr Ongkili, the same logging company has apparently been given
without tender the contract to build the proposed RM6.4 million
resettlement scheme in kampung Gana which would involve developing
4,000 acres of land for some 450 households affected by a Safoda
reafforestation project in Ulu Bengkoka.
He
urged the Chief Minister's Department to take action on the illegal
activity and ensure that the offenders are dealt with.
Meanwhile,
Dr Ongkili said that illegal logging activities have intensified
in the last three years despite the State Forestry Enactment being
amended in 1994 to increase penalties for illegal felling and use
the services of the army to deal with the problem.
"Obviously,
the problem is not so much the shortage of resources to solve illegal
logging but more on the political will and sincerity of the government
to tackle the problem once for all", he argued.
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