JOHOR BARU, Dec 5 — A former Johor DAP leader today has urged the new Pakatan Harapan (PH) state government to empower the state assembly to set-up select committees to examine executive decisions, in light of the degazettement of Pulau Kukup's national park status.
Dr Boo Cheng Hau said the hasty decision to degazette Pulau Kukup's national park status, without informing the public or even lawmakers shows that there is a dire need to consult the people for any important decision and policy made concerning the welfare of Johor.
“I would like to express my utmost disappointment and shock over making such a hasty decision without consulting the public for any feedback and concealed from the public knowledge about the rational of doing so,” said Boo in a statement today.
Boo, formerly the Johor DAP chief, reminded the public that Pulau Kukup should not be viewed as only a land mass of 647 hectares for potential commercial development, but it is a mangroove island identified as Ramsar wetland site.
“It is not only of environmental importance, but it is also an important natural heritage for Johor.
“Johoreans deserve a proper explanation from the state government on the rationale behind the decision to degazette Pulau Kukup’s status,” he said, adding that the nearby Sungai Pulai mangrove reserves as a Ramsar site has also been earlier ungazetted.
The 54-year-old former Johor Opposition chief, who is also a Johor DAP committee member, stressed that Johoreans deserve a clear direction and vision on what sort of comprehensive and sustainable socio-economic development plans for Johor.
Earlier, he said he was disappointed and was shocked over the surprised approval by the state government to degazette Pulau Kukup mangrove's status as a national park without seeking public feedback.
Boo, who was also the previous Skudai assemblyman, cited the announcement in the Johor State Government Gazette Volume 62 (22) Item 3808 dated October 25, 2018 under Subsection 3(3) of the National Parks (Johor) Corporation Enactment 1989.
Earlier, Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim said Pulau Kukup will become “Sultanate Land” to protect it after the island was degazetted as a national park by the state government.
“In the past, several national parks were privatised but in Johor, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar has a different vision.
“To better protect all national parks, Sultan Ibrahim decreed that all the national parks be changed to Sultanate Land,” he tweeted late last night.
It was reported yesterday that Pulau Kukup may cease having its Ramsar Convention ‘Wetland of International Importance’ recognition after the Johor government cancelled its status as a national park.
The decision to degazette Pulau Kukup as a national park was made during a state executive committee meeting on September 24 and the gazette on the decision was published on October 25.
It was learnt that a copy of the gazette had earlier gone viral on social media and had created concern among Malaysians, especially environmentalists as there was no engagement to stakeholders prior to the decision.
Currently, Johor has six national parks including Endau-Rompin Peta, Endau-Rompin Selai, Tanjung Piai, Pulau Kukup, Gunung Ledang, and Sultan Iskandar Marine Park.
Pulau Kukup measures approximately 647 hectares and is surrounded by some 800 hectares of mudflats.
The island, that is uninhabited, was gazetted 21 years ago and touted as among one of the world’s protected wetlands. In January 2003, Pulau Kukup was granted the status of a “Wetland of International Importance” or Ramsar Site, by the Geneva-based Ramsar Convention Bureau.
It was one of the few remaining pristine wetlands in Southeast Asia and was one of five Ramsar sites in Malaysia.
Ramsar sites are wetland sites designated to be of international importance under the United Nation's (UN) Convention on Wetlands.
