KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 ― Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim called today for the conversion of forest to agriculture to be suspended in the wake of the disastrous floods that inundated the east coast.

The PKR de facto leader echoed the concern raised by environmental group Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) that urged Putrajaya last Monday to freeze forest-to-plantation conversions in the country, given the severity of one of the worst floods to strike Malaysia in decades.

“I would like to pledge my open support to the latest statement of SAM, urging for a freeze on the land-use conversions,” Anwar said in a statement.

He added that several latest developments such as the floods and landslides in Cameron Highlands stemmed from vast land conversions, driven by reserve forest exploration initiatives.

Anwar also urged the State Land Council to review the National Forestry Policy that was implemented in 1977, in light of the current situation where forests are now exposed to the threats of illegal logging and exploration activities.

“The council has to also look into the seriousness of SAM’s claims and freeze any forest-to-plantation conversions,” said the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) de facto leader.

Anwar said illegal logging has been happening throughout the country for decades, pointing out that it would certainly affect forest yields.

“Hundreds of millions of ringgit are lost every year because of illegal logging activities that are not curbed,” he said.

The PKR de facto leader also urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to act and eradicate corruption in such activities.

“While we encourage development and the increase of farming yields, we should never compromise with such activities that affect the balance of our ecosystem,” he added.

Anwar also urged the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry and the Malaysian Timber Industry Board to respond to SAM.

In its statement on January 19, SAM had labelled Putrajaya’s concept of “forest plantation” or agroforestry as being “inherently contradictory”.

The NGO said that in 2008, the total size of forested areas classified as timber tree plantations in the country was recorded at 108,512 hectares and by 2013, the number had skyrocketed to 324,417 hectares, or 6.6 per cent of the Permanent Reserve Forest (PRF), a leap close to 200 per cent within a span of just five years.

SAM said that Kelantan, which was the worst affected by the floods last month, had the largest bulk of such PRF areas classified as timber tree plantations at 162,485 hectares, or 26 per cent of its PRF