KOTA BHARU, July 15 — The Kelantan government has given an assurance that every forest reserve area that has been de-gazetted for development or exploration purposes will be replaced with another area to ensure that the state’s forest reserve area continues to be preserved.
Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Mohamed Fadzli Hassan said the assurance also covers the issue of the degazetted Temangan Forest Reserve in Machang which is linked to granite mining activities.
“Actually, the issue arising in the Temangan Forest Reserve area is related to the approval given for granite mining in 2009.
“Since 2009, the approval has been given to a company to carry out granite mining in the Temangan Forest Reserve,” he said after the Kelantan State Government Exco meeting at the Kota Darulnaim Complex here today.
He said the area was recently degazetted as a forest reserve to enable the approval that was previously given to be implemented.
Mohamed Fadzli said he had sought clarification from the Kelantan State Forestry Department regarding the status of the replacement of the forest reserve area.
“I have contacted the Kelantan State Forestry Department to obtain certainty regarding the status of the replacement of the forest reserve. The Kelantan State Forestry has assured that any forest reserve that is cancelled must be replaced,” he said. — Bernama
