Peninsula to lose forested area nearly the size of Singapore, says watchdog group

PETALING JAYA: Forests totalling nearly the area of Singapore, or roughly three times that of Kuala Lumpur, have been earmarked for clearing in Peninsular Malaysia, according to a survey by the Rimba Disclosure Project (RDP).

Malaysia will see deforestation amounting to at least 72,584.73ha in the near future, as 86 environmental impact assessments (EIAs) involving forested land have been approved, 28 listings of forests for sale have been identified, and one project involving deforestation is ongoing.

“The RDP is disturbed by these findings. We previously called for an investigation by the state authorities concerned into alleged listings of forests for sale, but no action has been taken to our knowledge,” the RDP said in a press statement on Thursday (April 21).

The RDP, an independent forest monitoring initiative, also said that out of the 86 approved EIAs amounting to 28,075.72ha, a total of 24,973.76ha (89%) are located in forest reserves.

“Of these EIAs, 71% are for forest plantations, and the 24,973.76ha have been approved inside permanent forest reserves,” the statement added.

A total of 60 EIAs were for forest plantations involving 20,181.96ha, five EIAs for undefined logging involving 4,337.58ha, and six EIAs for oil palm involving 1,519.67ha.

The RDP also reported that nine EIAs were for mining and quarrying involving 1,492.05ha, two for other agricultural activities involving 475.372ha, and four for infrastructure involving 68.44ha.

The RDP said this was concerning as forest plantations can involve the loss of relatively high quality forests.

This is because the establishment of such plantations in reserves involved the levelling of natural forests and conversion of the land to a single-crop plantation.

This loophole allowed plantations for commodities such as rubber and durian to be counted as forest reserves, RDP added.

“But unlike Malaysia’s natural forests which can host over 200 species of trees per hectare, forest plantations hold just one species.

“Despite these findings, the government has allocated a further RM500mil for the Forest Plantation Development Programme 2021-2025,” it said.

The statement added that RDP had also identified and verified 43,539ha of land in forest reserves, Central Forest Spine (CFS) habitat linkages and indigenous customary land on sale through 28 listings on popular classified listing websites and social media platforms last year alone.

The most forest area for sale is in Pahang (27,900ha), followed by Kelantan (10,411ha), Terengganu (3,631ha), Selangor (264ha) and Perak (202ha).

Additionally, there is 404ha for sale in an undisclosed state, it said.

The RDP called on banks to stop financing deforestation, saying that this activity would not be possible without the support of the financial industry.

“The RDP calls on all players, particularly commercial financial institutions, Islamic financial institutions, investment funds and insurance companies to step up and recognise the connections between the biodiversity and climate crisis and urgently end all financial flows towards deforestation.

“According to Bank Negara Malaysia, through lending to sectors that depend heavily on ecosystem services and which have an impact on nature, the financial system is exposing Malaysia’s economy to significant physical and transition risks.

“Therefore, the RDP hopes that financial (players) act on the (number) of warnings transmitted to them from their own regulators, civil society and the scientific community,” it said.