MAJLIS DAILOG

DI ANTARA Y.B. MENTERI SUMBER ASLI DAN ALAM SEKITAR

DENGAN
PERTUBUHAN-PERTUBUHAN BUKAN KERAJAAAN (NGO) ALAM SEKITAR

NAMA PERTUBUHAN: REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS CAMERON HIGHLANDS (R.E.A.C.H.)

TARIKH: 22 June 2004

BIL ISU PANDANGAN/KOMEN/CADANGAN

1 The legal status of the Cameron Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary
(64,953ha) gazetted in 1962.
It is made to understand that the State Government has
degazetted the entire protected area, which is gazetted
under a federal law. If for any reason Cameron
Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary were to be degazetted,
this would at one stroke wipe out the protected
montane area in the Peninsula by 80%. If so, where is
the replacement?

REACH would also like to know how the State

2 Cameron Highlands is also protected under the Land Conservation
Act 1960.
3 Rehabilitation, Restoration and Reforestation of Degraded Montane
Forests
government had degazetted this area without the
approval from the Federal authorities. If this was done
illegally, then a detailed investigation is called for.
What is the status of the implementation of this Act at
the state and local level? During a meeting with the
local community Datuk Seri Dr Law Heing Ding for
the past 40 years, this Act had been neglected. The
Ministry will look into enforcing this Act. REACH
would like to get an update on the status of this
decision.
In January 2003, REACH highlighted to the media on
the extensive land clearing and hill slope cutting for a
farming project in Blue Valley, Cameron Highlands,

4 Cabinet Co-ordination Committee on Highlands and Islands
Development
5 Implementation of the “Study for the Sustainable Development of
the Highlands of Peninsular Malaysia” study commissioned by EPU,
funded by UNDP.
6 Policies on water resources management
which had defied two stop-work orders issued
previously by the District Office. The owner has been
charged in court, but the denuded area is now faced
with severe soil erosion causing massive amounts of
soil and silt being washed into the rivers. This is just
an example of many such montane forests areas that is
being degraded at a very rapid rate.
REACH would like to enquire on the enforcement of
the Land Conservation Act 1960 in this matter.
We are not aware of the current status, progress and
role of this high level Cabinet Committee. We would
like to seek clarification from the Ministry on this
matter.
We are not aware of the level of implementation of the
study completed in August 2002, which was adopted
by the Cabinet. On 19 – 21 October 2003, only 5 of the
12 Strategies outlined were discussed in a Seminar
Pelaksanaan Strategi Pengurusan dan Pemuliharaan
Kawasan Tanah Tinggi in Johor Bharu organized by
MOSTE.
Indiscriminate forests clearing and rampant
development of farm lands have jeopardized the
ecological functions of Cameron Highlands as a water
catchment area and habitat for biodiversity. REACH
urges the relevant agencies involved at the state and
local level to address the deteriorating drinking water
quality and reducing water quantity. In The Star 22nd
June 2004, the issue of water cuts in Cameron
Highlands made headlines.

7 Aerial monitoring of Cameron Highlands landscape
8 Road construction in the highlands.
9 Road widening project of Route 59 (Tapah – Cameron Highlans)
REACH will provide details on the drinking water
quality during the dialogue if needed.
REACH strongly feels that the frequent aerial
monitoring done by DOE is a futile attempt! There is
numerous illegal land clearing along main roads of
Cameron Highlands, which has been brought to the
attention of the Local Authorities by REACH.
However, it seems that the information from the
helicopter monitoring done by DOE, is not translated to
ground enforcement. This method of monitoring needs
greater inter-agency cooperation.
REACH also recommends that satellite imagery be
used as a more efficient means to detect and control
forest clearing in and around Cameron Highlands.
The K. Lipis – Cameron Highlands Highway that is
under construction now seem to be causing damage to
biodiversity, water resources and also impacts on the
local community (Orang Asli). The manner in which
the work packages have been approved is
inappropriate. In order to minimize the damage
caused, REACH recommends that the packages should
have been approved in the sequence of 1, 2, and 4, 3
instead of the current 1,2,3,4. REACH questions the
role and responsibility of the Cabinet Committee with
regards to the issue of road construction in the
highlands.
REACH feels that there is minimal planning and
inadequate monitoring by the relevant agencies of this
project. There seems to be many nagging problems
ranging from rock falls, casualties (including deaths)
and a massive landslide at Km 52, earlier this year
 (February 2004). The gradient for most of the road
cuts are too steep and the method employed, i.e.
cementing of the slopes are inappropriate for the
highlands.

Despite all that, REACH was made to understand that

JKR had obtained ISO certification for this project as a
“showcase project” in the highlands. REACH feels
that this ISO certification is meaningless until and
unless the various environmental issues had been
addressed.
10 EIA review of mixed development project (Royal Lily Park) REACH up to date, has not received any
acknowledgement nor response from DOE and the
Minister on the comments provided in 2003 on the
DEIA on the proposed mixed development on 30 acres
of state land in Tanah Rata, under the project proponent
Mayang Jelatek Sdn Bhd.
11 District level committee to oversee environmental rehabilitation In November 2002, REACH was appointed as member
of a district level committee to oversee environmental
rehabilitation matters focusing on river rehabilitation in
Cameron Highlands. This committee was formed on
the directive of the Cabinet Coordination Committee
on Highlands and Islands. Up todate, REACH has not
received any request for meeting, updates on proposed
work and future plans.