THE Association for Welfare Community and Dialogue urges Perak people’s representatives to take heed of the petition signed by over 5,000 concerned citizens, who are against turning Kledang Saiong forest into a timber production site. The petition was hosted on change.org.

The project, which has already been awarded and currently awaiting Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval, involves clear-felling a 4,280ha (about 6,000 football fields) area, with full clearing of all vegetation for the development and operation of a forest plantation for 50 years.

The reality in the country with regard to floods in Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu and Perak, and the landslide in Batang Kali in Selangor, should compel politicians to properly scrutinise our natural landscape, especially when reviewing hilltop projects, to create necessary environmental safeguards for generations to come.

Putting the sole responsibility on the Environment Department for EIA approval is irresponsible and goes against the principles of sustainable development.

While the term “sustainable development” is usually propagated by political authorities to satisfy global trends, it is a pity that state assemblies like Perak’s do not debate and come to proper understanding on what constitutes sustainable development.

We are still far off from the nitty gritty of sustainable development, which starts from protecting our basic natural resources such as forest, which contain medicinal biodiversity with links to public health, ecosystems that protect habitats, and protective elements that contribute to preserving soil and trapping water, mitigating the impact of heavy downpours.

Currently, there is a slogan to make Ipoh a green city, but there is a lack of understanding that unless there is wholeness approach in building the necessary foundation by interlinking various aspects of climate issues and portraying a unitive approach to protecting the environment, we will only end up with deceptive slogans.

It is hoped Perak assemblymen will persuade the state government to do away with the Kledang Saiong project, which places our future generations at risk of climate-related disasters.

Let’s start building a whole-of-society approach to environmental preservation by saying no to the deforestation in Kledang Saiong. – March 26, 2023.

* Ronald Benjamin reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.