ENVIRONMENTAL group Rimba Watch has warned that a proposed palm oil project in Terengganu threatens virgin peat swamp forests as well as endangered species such as the Malayan tapir, long-tailed macaque, and Malayan sun bear. 

The group’s director Adam Farhan said the palm oil project involved about 2,300ha of land within the former Belara Forest Reserve in Kuala Nerus. 

The reserve was controversially degazetted in 2020 by the Terengganu government, he added. 

The environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the project was released earlier this month. 

“This palm oil project is inconsistent with Malaysian and Asean policies, international commodity standards and the MSPO certification. This indicates that not only is the project potentially technically illegal, but it is also commercially unviable,” said Adam in a statement. 

He urged the Department of Environment to reject the EIA, and for the Terengganu government to regazette the Belara Forest Reserve in its entirety.  

He also said the federal government must amend the EIA screening process to ensure projects inconsistent with Malaysia’s legal frameworks were ineligible for the EIA process at all stages. 

He said the EIA stated that roughly 1,500ha of the 2,228ha of land involved in the project was peat swamp forest. Furthermore, 1,029ha of the site was in virgin woods.  

“In addition, 257 species of trees, shrubs, and grasses, 90 species of birds, 51 species of reptiles and amphibians, 43 species of mammals and 30 species of fish will be affected by this project.  

“According to the EIA, all locals surveyed expected human-wildlife conflict to be exacerbated by this project,” he added.  

He also said the mitigation measures proposed by the project proponent were inadequate and unreasonable given the gravity of the expected environmental impact. – August 13, 2024.