The Editor,
New Straits Times,
Jalan Riong, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.
Dear Sir,
Re: Belum Forest to be State Nature Park
With reference to your report (p.1 November
10 1999) that the Menteri Besar of Perak, YAB Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib
has said that the Perak State Government will soon gazette 100,000 ha of
Belum Forest to be made into a state park modelled after Taman Negara,
it is indeed a much welcomed move for all of us in the Malaysian Nature
Society. On behalf of the committee and the members of MNS Perak Branch,
I wish to convey our heart-felt thanks to Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib and
congratulate him for his bold and generous decision to make Belum forest
and part of the Temenggor forest reserve a state park. When it is finally
gazetted this will indeed be not only an
invaluable gift to Perak citizens but to all nature lovers who wish
to visit and preserve Belum forest in its pristine state for all to enjoy
forever.
We, first as Perakians and secondly
members of the Malaysian Nature Society are especially proud that at last
we can tell the world that Perak has a state park that would be a showpiece
of our unique natural heritage which has some similarities to the monsoon
forest of Thailand. Together with Taman Negara and Endau-Rompin parks,
Malaysia can now proudly show to the rest of the world the living treasures
of the tropical rainforests linking the equatorial forests of Endau-Rompin
to the deciduous monsoon forests of Thailand, Myanmar and Indo-China. This
decision will also stop
certain countries in the West from constantly accusing us of not conserving
our rainforests. It will also stop or reduce future demands for logging
concessions.
The economic spin-offs from the proposed
park will certainly be great bringing economic benefits to the local
populace and reducing the dependence on logging and mining to bring much
needed income. However, proper stock-taking must be made of what lies in
Belum forest before we can offer them to the public lest irreparable damage
is done if left to the non-experts.
We therefore hope that the State Government
would invite all interested parties to participate in preserving the pristine
condition of this beautiful piece of wilderness. Over the last decade the
MNS has undertaken projects like the Kuala Selangor Nature Park and Endau
Rompin State nature park and has thus gained much valuable experience and
technical expertise in nature park management. The MNS offers all these
to the Perak Government as we believe that proper planning which will benefit
all parties concerned and ensure that all action taken would be in harmony
with nature should be carried out and implemented so that its natural and
other products (electricity and drinking water)
will be sustainable well into the future. Based on such experience
the State government would be provided with more and better technical input
and would be better prepared to avoid costly mistakes and pitfalls which
would eventually lead to irreparable damage to the State park, bad publicity
for the government and public outrage.
Once again I wish to congratulate the
Menteri Besar of Perak YAB Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib and the Perak Government
for their intention to make Belum forest a state park. This landmark decision
will be certainly be well received not only by nature-lovers in Perak but
by all Malaysians as we can look forward to conserving our natural heritage
and managing it well in perpetuity for our future generations.
Sincerely,
Cheaw Hon Ming
Chairman,
Malaysian Nature Society, Perak Branch.
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Created on 16th November 1999