PETALING JAYA (May 20): Residents living in areas stricken by extensive logging in Changlun, Kedah have welcomed the Kedah BN government's decision to temporarily cease and review all logging activities, Berita Harian reported.

Residents living in Kg Wang Perah, near the Bukit Perangin Permanent Forest Reserve, said the decision was much-needed as residents were worried they would have to deal with long-term effects promoted by rampant logging including the loss of the water catchment area and soil erosion.

"We were not at peace living here during the entire time the logging activities were carried out at the forest reserve because it is a water catchment area and the residents depend on the rivers running through the nearby area," resident Zakaria Salleh was quoted as saying.

"It is possible that the water catchment areas will be affected by the rampant logging activities as the tributaries nearby may dwindle and would not be able to supply water to village residents," he said.

The Malay daily had earlier reported four major logging projects under the previous PAS-led state government.

Other than logging activities in Bukit Perangin in Jitra, the other three projects include Charok Batang Padi in Pedu, Gunung Inas in Baling and Bukit Kachi in Changlun.

Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, the new Kedah menteri besar, had stated that the state government would temporarily cease all logging activities for a review to proceed, and that no new logging permits will be issued until the exercise is conducted.

Villager Hamzah Ali, 56, said residents want the area to be protected as the logging activities had caused uncontrolled environmental degradation.

"We also hope the state government will take necessary actions to properly review all permits issued to logging concessionaires in the future," he said.

Pakatan Rakyat lost Kedah in GE13, returning the state to BN in a slim majority. BN won the state by a simple majority, winning 21 seats out of the total 36 state seats. BN previously won 14 state seats in the previous general election.

In a related matter, Peninsular Malaysia Forestry director general Datuk Dr Abd Rahman Abd Rahim said illegal logging in permanent forest reserves is under control, with less than 1% of the total 4.7 million hectares of the forested areas.

He also said the department managed to plant 26 million trees in Peninsular Malaysia since 2010.

"Perak recorded planting 10.9 million trees in the state since 2010," he was quoted as saying.

According to the Malaysian Timber Council, Malaysia has a total of 19.42 million hectares of forested land, out of which 74% or 14.29 million hectares are gazetted as permanent forest reserves under the National Forestry Act 1984.

Out of 14.29 million hectares, 22% or 3.11 million hectares are categorised as protected forests while the remaining 78% or 11.18 million hectares are categorised as production forests, which are open to the commercial harvesting of timber.