ENVIRONMENTAL group RimbaWatch has called on the Environment Department to revoke the environmental impact assessment (EIA) approval for the development of a road cutting through the Rizab Harimau Diraja Al-Sultan Abdullah in Pahang.

It said the tiger reserve is a highly protected and ecologically sensitive area and that development would expose endangered species to human wildlife conflict and poaching. 

“RimbaWatch is appalled that the Department of Environment has chosen to approve the EIA for a road which passes through the Rizab Harimau Diraja Al-Sultan Abdullah,” it said in a statement.

The group demanded that the approval be rescinded with immediate effect.

“Recently, RimbaWatch has sighted an accurate map of the alignment of the proposed road, along with a map of the Rizab Harimau and has found that the road will dissect the forests of eastern Pahang near the Terengganu border, and separate the forests of Taman Negara in the north to the forests of Ulu Tembeling in the south, which is one of Malaysia’s largest remaining contiguous area of forest.

“We have been able to confirm that the majority of the road’s proposed 52km alignment will pass directly through the Rizab Harimau. In particular, the road will involve deforesting the Gunung Aais Forest Reserve (which is a component of the Rizab Harimau), and which has been a ‘hutan perlindungan’ for some time,” the group said.

RimbaWatch said the area is believed to be virgin forest.

It added that human-tiger conflict has already occurred from the expansion of roads into the area. 

“Just last year, a tiger was spotted on a newly built road near Kampung Mat Daling.”

RimbaWatch said that to protect Malaysia’s remaining 100 tigers, the ecological integrity of this park must be preserved. 

It said the DOE must release the contents of the EIA and associated documents to the public.

“We also urged the DOE to commit to not approving EIAs involving deforestation or degradation of protected areas in the future.” – June 12, 2023.