Nobody said Pulau Kukup will be developed, says TMJ

Updated 7 years ago · Published on 11 Dec 2018 9:59AM · 13 Comments

Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim says the sultan of Johor has decreed that Pulau Kukup still be a national park despite it being gazetted as sultanate land. – AFP pic, December 11, 2018.

THE war of words over Pulau Kukup between the Johor crown prince and the federal government continues, with Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim accusing Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad of being inconsistent over state land.

Tunku Ismail said the intention of turning the mangrove island into sultanate land was to protect and not develop it, and questioned Dr Mahathir’s intention of announcing that the federal government also wanted Pulau Kukup to remain a national park.

“What is the new issue that the prime minister wants to highlight? The same decision of the Kukup Island remaining as a Johor National Park has already been made by the state government and decreed by His Majesty Sultan of Johor.

“To this day nobody has released a statement about development on Kukup Island. The real issue … is that we need more progressive steps to protect the area, not to develop it. I hope nobody issues any statement that is not in line with the real issue,” the prince, who populary known as TMJ, the Malay acronym of his title, wrote on his Facebook page. 

Dr Mahathir yesterday weighed in on Pulau Kukup being degazetted as a national park and turned into sultanate land, saying the federal government wanted the mangrove island to remain a national park, and that Putrajaya wasn’t an “outsider” as the federal government was responsible for all things in the country.

Pulau Kukup was gazetted as a national park 21 years ago and is touted as the second-largest uninhabited mangrove island in the world. – Facebook pic, December 11, 2018.

In response, Tunku Ismail said the Pulau Kukup issue should not be used to distract people from the “U-turns” the Pakatan Harapan government has made.

“Do not make a non-issue into an issue just to cover the weaknesses of the federal government’s administration.

“I also hope the federal government will research about an issue first before making incorrect assumptions or being influenced by the whispers of certain people. Besides this issue, the people have noticed that the federal government has made a lot of U-turns in various promises, issues and decisions. And many of these issues have effects and impacts on the daily lives of Malaysians.”

The prince then referred to Dr Mahathir’s statements about the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman temple, located on privately owned land in Subang Jaya, where riots broke out over moves to relocate the house of worship.

He said Dr Mahathir had stated then, that land matters were under the jurisdiction of the state government.

“This statement contradicts today’s statement by the prime minister himself on the Kukup Island issue. In the Kukup Island issue, he said the federal government was not an outsider and was responsible for all states and the Kukup Island. 

“So, why does the federal government want to interfere with the land issue in Johor, but not on the same thing with the temple issue in Selangor?”

An environmentalist, however, has pointed out that national parks in Malaysia fall under the concurrent list in the federal constitution, making them the purview of both the federal and state governments.

Surin Suksuwan, a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) world commission on protected areas, told The Malaysian Insight that Dr Mahathir was right in saying that Pulau Kukup, unique as the world’s second largest uninhabited mangrove island and a Ramsar Wetlands site of international importance, was of interest to the Malaysian public and not just Johor folk. – December 11, 2018.

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Comments

  • Once it is transferred to Johor Sultanate, nobody could tell what would happen to it. Nobody could question as it belongs to sultanate. The Chinese gov is eyeing it, I know.

    Posted 7 years ago by Awang Bilis · Reply

  • Trust from the rakyat is paramount on this matter. People trust the government, state or federal.

    Posted 7 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

    • The Ruling Govt was voted in, the monarch wasnt. And lacking in credibility as well as integrity.

      Posted 7 years ago by Mo Salleh · Reply

    • Agreed in full.

      Posted 7 years ago by Lipdah Lia · Reply

  • If so then why the need to change the status as national park? Didn't the national park status a better assurance that no development in the future at all.

    Posted 7 years ago by Chee yee ng · Reply

  • Whats the definition of A Sultanate Land in the Land Laws of Johor and the Federal Laws ?? Is there a provision for Sultanate Land in the Johor State Constituition ??

    Posted 7 years ago by CS Lin · Reply

  • Then, it shouldn't be issue to maintain it as national park.....why the conversion?

    Posted 7 years ago by Chean Ang Heng · Reply

  • Stop throwing rocks at a brand new government, dont behave like a bully. If you have no profitable designs on the parks, why insist on grabbing it. Give it back. You have made so much money from the state already. Enough la.

    Posted 7 years ago by Alphonz Jayaraman · Reply

  • BUT why convert/transfer to sultanate?????

    Posted 7 years ago by Lipdah Lia · Reply

  • TMJ should stand as a politician so that he can talk as much as he can. Otherwise as monarch, he should just keep quiet.

    Posted 7 years ago by Jackal Way · Reply

  • Talking too much...........

    Posted 7 years ago by Azis Yusoff · Reply

  • Thats s good question... if there are no plans to develop the Pulau Kukup, then WHY in the first place turn the land into Sultanate land?
    Why could it have not remained as A National Park... which will be open anytime to members of the Malaysian public?
    If Sultanate land, do s it mean that the land is off limits to the members of the Malaysian public or they need to obtain special permission before entering the park land?

    Posted 7 years ago by TTs Take · Reply

  • As at today, no development plan yet. What about tomorrow and the morrow and the morrow ...... ? It's now "private property" of the Sultanate and if the Sultanate one fine day, even generations later, decides do "develop" it, who is to stop the development or destruction of the mangrove?

    Posted 7 years ago by Ravinder Singh · Reply