PAHANG Menteri Besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail today said restoration of the Tasik Chini in Pekan has been smooth, with 80% of the area having been rehabilitated.

Wan Rosdy, who visited the area two weeks ago, said the state government is committed to ensuring the status of Tasik Chini, recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation as a biosphere reserve in 2009, would be in perpetuity. 

Among the actions taken to rehabilitate the affected lake and its surrounding area due to mining and logging activities has been the gazetting of this government land as Chini Forest Reserve based on Section 7 of the National Forestry Act 1984. 

Wan Rosdy said Tasik Chini had been gazetted as a forest reserve of 6,502.80 hectares and this was publicised via a government gazette dated August 5, 2021. 

“Greening efforts have been undertaken by growing ground-cover plants at the 200ha area at a cost of RM3.95 million from last year, using an allocation from the Forest Development Trust Fund.

“The erosion and sediment control project at the Tasik Chini buffer zone, which is 1.75km long and cost RM2.5 million, was completed on June 22 through the Joint Rehabilitation Fund with project implementation by the Pahang Drainage and Irrigation Department.” 

Wan Rosdy said this to a supplementary question from Lee Chean Chung (PH-Semamu) at the assembly sitting in Kuantan today on measures taken by the state government to rehabilitate Tasik Chini until September 30 for it not to lose its biosphere status. 

He also said that the rehabilitation process of the lake also involved Orang Asli living in the area through implementation of the Buy Back Guarantee programme, which has so far involved 14 participants from Kg Gumum, Kg Cendahan, Kg Puput and Kg Melai. 

“Through this programme, the participants are provided with basic facilities for plant nurseries and are allowed to collect and plant the seeds and saplings from the nearby forest.

“Each plant that reaches three feet high will be bought by the Pahang Forestry Department at RM3 each and so far, 3,344 plants have been bought,” he added.

Wan Rosdy also said that the tree planting campaign was carried out on February 5 and 6 involving about 3,000 saplings and 400 participants including villagers and 25 civil society groups in rehabilitating Tasik Chini and its surrounding area. – Bernama, August 2, 2022.