Cameron Highlands going downhill

If nothing is done to stop the rampant illegal land clearing, it will soon be rendered barren, says Pahang DAP.

CAMERON HIGHLANDS: Cameron Highlands is rapidly losing its quaint charm as a result of rampant illegal land clearance for agricultural cultivation, said a local DAP leader.

Pahang DAP vice-chairman J Apalasamy blamed local farmers for the indiscriminate and ruthless clearance of jungle land on this hilly resort terrain.

“These farmers don’t have a permit. They are flouting the law,” he told FMT here today.

He said crooked local farmers have also been bringing in foreign workers, mostly illegal ones, to clear out the hillslopes.

They would then ‘lease out’ the state-owned land to these foreigners to carry out unpermitted agricultural activities, mostly vegetable cultivation, on a profit-sharing basis.

Apalasamy said the aliens would earn their profit by cultivating the land while locals would earn theirs by “protecting” them.

“Both profiteer at the expense of nature and public interests. This is why Cameron Highlands has more foreigners than locals,” he said.

3,000 acres illegally cleared

Apalasamy added that some hillslopes were cleared to a gradient as high as 30 degrees, posing a risk of landslides and soil erosion.

He said Cameron Highlands is now battling unsustainable land clearing and water pollution, as rivers would turn murky during rainy spells when muddy water gushed down the slopes.

He estimated about 3,000 acres of hilly land had been cleared illegally since 2008, and worst hit were Blue Valley, Kuala Terla, Tanah Rata, Sungai Menson, Kampung Raja and Bertam.

He lamented that complaints by locals to relevant authorities against these unscrupulous and irresponsible anti-nature activities have largely fallen to deaf ears.

Sources in the local district office say authorities found it difficult to nab those involved because local politicians and district office staff were collaborating with the culprits.

The culprits would flee the area after being “tipped off” on raids by authorities

Apalasamy warned that at the rate it was going now, Cameron Highlands would soon become a “bare barren mountain.”

“The authorities must act fast to prevent Malaysians losing a natural heritage,” he said.