Summary
- Sahabat Alam Malaysia urged Kelantan, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang to adopt key 2022 amendments to the National Forestry Act.
- The provisions require public consultation before Permanent Reserve Forests are degazetted.
- States would also need to replace degazetted forests with areas of equal or greater size.
- SAM proposed tighter conditions for federal Ecological Fiscal Transfer grants to encourage forest protection.
GEORGE TOWN, September 8 — Sahabat Alam Malaysia has urged four state governments to adopt key National Forestry Act amendments aimed at strengthening protection of Permanent Reserve Forests.
President Meenakshi Raman said Kelantan, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang should reconsider decisions not to adopt provisions requiring public consultation before forest degazettement.
And replacement with an equal or larger protected area. SAM argued the measures would strengthen transparency, community participation and forest conservation.
It also called on the federal government to tighten conditions for Ecological Fiscal Transfer grants, saying states receiving federal conservation funding should support national forest protection objectives.
