Editor's Note: The Perak Menteri Besar's office has responded. The response can be read at the bottom of this letter.
LETTER | While Malaysians have been breathing in cleaner air now with the clearing of the haze from the Indonesian forest fires, many Orang Asli in Perak wait with bated breath about the plight in their own ancestral homeland.
For a long time now, the Orang Asli community in pockets of Perak has seen logging activities encroached the land they call home. Many Perakians, like myself, thought that such shady, or outright illegal activities, would end after last year's general election. We were wrong.
The state government, of which forestry matters fall under, should take a more proactive role in combatting illegal logging, failing which they would be party to this menace by way of criminal neglect. Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu needs to show more sincerity and determination in protecting the rich forestry ecosystem in our state.
The recent standoff between the Orang Asli in Kampung Sungai Papan and the logging companies was the result of pent-up frustration over the wanton, illegal destruction of forests all over the state.
While Malaysians complain about the haze from Indonesia choking our air, some of us also seemed to be indifferent to environmental degradation in our own backyard. That makes us hypocrites.
Ahmad Faizal's attitude towards this scourge is not helping. His claims that "jobs would be lost" if logging was stopped, ring similar to how some Indonesian palm oil planters put profit before planet.
The menteri besar had also said that the Orang Asli should not be used as a means to prevent the state government from generating income from logging. Coming from a Pakatan Harapan menteri besar, this is most shocking! One wonders what are the considerations that go into his mind before saying such things.
Be that as it may, we hope that efforts to clamp down on the widespread illegal logging activities in Perak do not disappear just like how the haze from Indonesia has gone away - for now. Just like the haze, if this problem is not nipped in the bud, we are bound to have not just a recurrence of an ecological disaster, but a long-lasting and unnecessary cultural and socio-economic destruction as well.
The Perak Menteri Besar Office has responded as follow:
For the information of Malaysiakini readers, the Menteri Besar has decided to halt all logging activities in areas disputed by the Orang Asli community in Sungai Papan, Gerik.
This decision was reflected in a joint statement by Perak Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator P Waythamoorthy on August 1.
For the record, the menteri besar had also halted logging activities in Hulu Perak earlier this year following reports on pollution in Sungai Rui.
The Perak government is open to suggestions and constructive criticisms to improve the well being of the state and the people, but it would be beneficial to all parties if letters are published after proper fact-checking.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
