KOTA BARU, Jan 23 — The Kelantan government is willing to stop all logging activities if the federal government settles the issue of oil royalty payments to the state.

Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said the oil royalty payments estimated at RM700 million were more than enough for Kelantan’s development as compared to logging revenue which came to about RM100 million annually.

“Among the reasons why we fell trees is because state revenue is limited. If we get the oil royalty which we are supposed to receive, we might be able to stop all logging activities immediately. The Orang Asli communities will also not be disturbed,’ he told reporters after chairing a meeting on the “Hari Murabbi Ummah” celebration.

PAS-ruled Kelantan is the poorest state in the federation with practically no economy of substance to speak of.

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The state government has also been slapped with a civil suit by the federal government to protect Orang Asli land rights in the state.

Orang Asli communities in the state are unhappy that their native lands, which is the source of their livelihood, are being encroached into for logging activities. — Bernama