PETALING JAYA, Dec 11 — Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he was angered by the discovery of Pulau Kukup’s degazettement as a protected national park.
The former Johor mentri besar said he has been following the issue closely since news of the unexpected degazettement first arose
“When I heard it had been degazetted, I was angry with that (decision),” Muhyiddin said during a press conference at the Parti Pribumi Malaysia Bersatu (PPBM) headquarters here today.
Muhyiddin said that when he had headed the Johor government, he was closely involved in introducing laws to protect the state's parks.
Among others, he said such enactments were intended to protect the state’s islands, mountains and other natural features for future generations.
“Pulau Kukup is very beautiful, one of the most precious places in the world, and we should be proud of that,” Muhyiddin said.
Commenting on the move to convert the island to “sultanate land”, he said this would alter the protections available to it.
He said it could not be denied that this would involve a change of owners.
“Although I am aware this could incur royal displeasure, I would rather appeal to His Highness, the Sultan, to let it go back to what it was before,” Muhyiddin said.
He explained the island could be better managed as a gazetted park, but stressed that this was only his personal view.
Touching on the Johor Crown Prince’s rejection of another federal minister’s comments as that of an “outsider”, Muhyiddin said he was a state native interested in the island’s protection.
Last week, the Johor state government announced that the previous administration had degazetted Pulau Kukup that would be reclassified as sultanate land.
The Johor royal house is currently engaged in an exchange of words with federal government leaders over the issue.
