Ulu Muda forests under threats; Save Ulu Muda
The Menteri Besar of Kedah state government, Dato Seri Azizan Razak had recently threatened to log this important catchment area, Ulu Muda forest and all short-term returns at the risk of losing all of nature’s bounty. Logging the catchment means losing the water that irrigate the vast paddy fields that feed us, and the water that supplies the common folks and also industries in three states; Kedah, Perlis and also Penang. The story begins in 2002, when Kedah State Government which was at that time governed by Barisan Nasional with YAB Dato’ Seri Syed Razak Syed Zain Barakhbah as the Menteri Besar proposed logging at Ulu Muda. This project provoked much controversy as a result of which Friends of Ulu Muda, a loose coalition of NGOs, was formed in 2003 to campaign against the proposal to log Ulu Muda. Despite claims by the project proponent and the Menteri Besar of Kedah that the project was “environmentally-friendly”, the Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) for the heli-logging project was rejected in March 2003.
In recognition of the strategic importance of the Ulu Muda catchment area, the Federal Cabinet decided on 18th May 2003 to ban logging at Ulu Muda. The then Minister of Primary Industries, Datuk Seri (now Tun) Dr. Lim KengYaik was quoted in major newspapers as saying that the Federal government had also decided to compensate Kedah for the loss of timber revenue due to the logging ban.
It was therefore a great surprise that the plan to log Ulu Muda has resurfaced again, this time proposed by the PAS-led State government under the leadership of the present Menteri Besar, YAB Azizan Abdul Razak. The Kedah Menteri Besar has been quoted by the press as saying that the logging plan would still go ahead even if the Federal government compensates the State government to the tune of RM100 million per year.
The industrial areas in Kedah such as the Kulim Hi-Tech Park and those in Penang, including Bayan Baru and Seberang Perai, are dependent on the water which originates from the Ulu Muda forests. The tourism industry in Penang, particularly the hospitality sector, is also a heavy user of water sourced from Kedah.
The rivers that originate from the Ulu Muda forests, including the Muda and Kedah rivers, sustain the fisheries resource important for the livelihood of fishing communities of the Kedah coast, as well as supplementing the income of paddy farmers who depend on the rivers. These rivers are also important for maintaining critical ecosystems such as the mudflats along the Kedah coast which is an important area for migratory birds and edible shellfish.
The most important rice producing region in Peninsular Malaysia, so aptly named as the Rice Bowl of Malaysia, relies on water sourced from the Ulu Muda forests. The area under the scheme accounts for about 40% of total rice production in Malaysia and supports the livelihood of 63,000 families that are directly involved in rice farming. This area is also in fact one of the country’s eight large granary areas designated under the Third National Agriculture Policy (1998-2010) as permanent rice producing areas to realise a minimum self-sufficiency level for rice of 90% by 2010. As such, the protection of water supply to this important “rice bowl” of Malaysia is of almost importance for the country’s food security, more so now with the recently worldwide crisis of shortages in rice supply.
The National Physical Plan and draft Kedah Structure Plan identifies Ulu Muda as an Environmentally Sensitive Area Rank I, which means that the area is for strict protection and logging is not allowed. The sheer size of the Ulu Muda forests and the presence of relatively untouched primary forest support a rich diversity of fauna adnd flora. It is important for conservation of large mammals such as the Asian elephant, the Malaysan tiger, the Malayan tapir, seladang and the clouded leopard,. It is also designated as an Imprtant Bird Area (IBA) for the rich avian fauna found within its boundaries.
Considering the conflict that is yet again arising with regard to the Ulu Muda forests, several environmental non-government organisations (NGOs) and community-based organisations (CBOs) have agreed to revive the coalition to save Ulu Muda, now known as Friends of Ulu Muda II, to prevent the social, environmental and food crisis that will arise from logging Ulu Muda. Their stand and recommendatations are there should zero logging at Ulu Muda, the protection of Ulu Muda forests should be enhanced by establishing a state or National Park covering the entire Ulu Muda catchment area, and the Federal Goverment should deliver on its promise to compensate the Kedah State government for not logging Ulu Muda.
