THE Kelantan state government must come clean over the state’s forest carbon-offset deal with Climate Protectors Sdn Bhd and disclose details of the agreement, said Amanah vice president Husam Musa today.

The Salor assemblyman said the statement by Menteri Besar Ahmad Yakob earlier today did not address the concerns raised by critics.

“There was no explanation on the criteria of how the company was chosen, in terms of its financial strength, expertise, experience or track record.

“Since the agreement was signed six months ago, what progress has been made?

“I am worried that the state government is now tied to the agreement without an exit clause and the company will act freely,” Husam said in a statement today.

The Kelantan government today refused to address any of the points raised by critics on the matter and instead denied allegations on social media that the state had instructed companies, including Climate Protector, to collect funds to finance its carbon trading project.

He also advised members of public who had made payments to lodge police reports.

Husam said that the state government acknowledged that the company had violated the law by urging those who have made payments to lodge reports.

“The state government meanwhile tries to wash its hands off the matter by not lodging its own police report against the company, which has influenced the public by promoting the one million hectares of forest reserve that was assigned by Kelantan government to them,” he said.

Kelantan signed a two-year contract with Climate Protectors to audit carbon credits available in the its permanent forest reserves.

Ahmad was quoted as saying by media earlier this year that Climate Protectors will be rewarded with a 30-year concession to work on the state’s 396,000ha of permanent forest reserve.

The company, as well as EcoBit were red-flagged by BNM for operating without approval. Climate Protectors was placed on the central bank’s financial consumer alert list on June 23.

Meanwhile, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has denied it has any working relationships with EcoBit.

Climate Protectors chief executive Tang Too Siah also sits on the advisory board of cryptocurrency investment company EcoBit. – July 5, 2017.