Speaking after officiating the harvesting of a shallots cultivation project in Lekir, Ramli said he has not sure whether any permit had been given to any company to carry out logging in the area near the Sungai Halong confluence. The area was where the MNS set up its base camp for scientific expeditions in 1993 and 1994. MNS members had reported finding notices nailed to trees in Belum stating that an area of 2,000 ha around Sungai Halong was to be logged by Cenderla Ltd.

Yesterday, MNS head of Science and Conservation, Dr Loh Chi Leong, said the high-biodiver-sity forest bordering Thailand is only gazetted as "Permanent Forest Reserve", meaning that the State Government could further classify its use under Section 10 (1) of the National Forestry Act, 1984. This includes turning it into "production forest" where a particular tract of the forest can be utilised for timber production. Perak State Forestry director could not be contacted for comments.