IPOH, May 7 — The Perak state government should gazette areas yet to be earmarked for industrial development at Segari Melintang in Lumut as state parks, said Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM).

SAM field officer Meor Razak Meor Abdul Rahman said this would ensure the area stayed as Environmentally Sensitive Area Rank 1.

“Once it is gazetted, it would be managed by authorities unlike now where it was opened to encroachment,” he said.

Speaking to Malay Mail today, Meor Razak said it would be better for the state to gazette whatever was left of the area before it was taken up by development.

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“Do not, just because of some of the areas had been given up for development, adopt a wait-and-see attitude,” he said.

Meor Razak said non-governmental organisations (NGOs) met with state executive councillor Tan Kar Hing on Monday over gazetting Segari Melintang as Perak’s fifth state park.

“We were informed by the exco that the matter was being looked into by the state Economic Planning Unit,” he said.

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Malay Mail had previously reported that Segari Melintang is classified as Environmentally Sensitive Area Rank 1 in the National Physical Plan because it is a major turtle landing area, especially for the green turtle.

It was also reported that the Segari Melintang State Park had received the approval of Perak ruler Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah and is set to cover Pantai Pasir Pandak-Pantai Tanjung Batu, Segari Melintang Forest Reserve and Tanjung Hantu Forest Reserve or about 3,000ha.

Currently, there are four state parks in Perak: Royal Belum, Pulau Sembilan, Taman Alam Kinta and Geopark Kinta.