MAYAYSIA: Keday Mulls Over Logging Using Helicopters
Copyright 2001 BERNAMA (Malaysian National News Agency)
December 05, 2001
DATELINE: ALOR SETAR, Dec 5, 2001 - The Kedah government has agreed in principle to a proposal to carry out logging using helicopters in a 160,000ha forest reserve which is also a water catchment area in the state.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Syed Razak Syed Zain said the state government was now taking a closer look at the proposed project mooted by a Sarawak company. "We hope that after the study is completed the project can boost the state government's revenue by using the expertise of this company," he told reporters after the state Exco meeting today.
The state government has set up a committee comprising representatives of the State Economic Planning Unit, Department of Environment, Civil Aviation Department, Forestry Department and Muda Agriculture Development Authority (Mada) to undertake the study.
The forest reserve, which straddles the Padang Terap, Sik and Baling districts, is estimated to have timber worth RM700 million.
The state government has prohibited logging in the area for the past 50 years because of its proximity to the Pedu, Muda, Ahning and Beris Dams.
"Based on the proposal, the government is convinced that logging using helicopters will not jeopardise the ecology system and environment in the water catchment area," he said.
He said the helicopter method of logging has been implemented in Sarawak and a few developed countries.
Meanwhile, Syed Razak today received a RM67,449 contribution from the State Education Department for the Afghanistan Refugees Fund.
The money was collected from students, teachers and staff of schools in the state.
The state government also approved a RM20,000 allocation for the fund.