He said ever since he was appointed to the menteri besar post, he himself had taken the initiative to gazette 300,000 hectares of water catchment areas in the state, besides expanding the buffer zones around the national parks from 500 metres to 1.5km.

“In my younger days, my father and I often went for a picnic by the Janda Baik river. Although my late father was not a highly educated man, he always told me that if one day I have the power and authority, do no cut trees.

“And when I became the menteri besar, I tried my best by gazetting a total of 300,000 hectares of water catchment areas. This means that the areas cannot be touched,” he said when winding up debate at the state assembly sitting here today.

However, Adnan said it was found that a settlement had been built in the reserve area concerned and as such, he had asked the state Forestry Department to review the buffer zones around the national parks, particularly in Hulu Tembeling.

At the same time, Adnan also lamented that logging activities in the state had been carried out without proper replanting.

“Taking care of the environment is crucial for us and it all starts from forests. I feel sad because logging activities have been carried out at an extremely high rate, but the replanting is not encouraging.”

He added that if all parties involved had adhered to the prescribed conditions, no issues would have arisen and he was confident that efficient replanting activities would ensure enough log supply within the next 30 years.

Adnan said the state government was always open to suggestions and views from the parties concerned in order to improve forest management in Pahang.

On the El Nino phenomenon, Adnan slammed certain quarters, who seemed to deliberately make the Sungai Pahang a target by associating it with the deforestation activity.

“I went to Temerloh and yes, I saw that Sungai Pahang was drying up. However, it is still wide compared to Sungai Golok (in Kelantan) where people can simply walk to get to the other side of the river.

“Do not only look at Pahang. Look at other states as well.

“I am not having a denial syndrome but sometimes they make Pahang look like it is in such a bad state, when it is actually not that bad.”

On the bauxite issue, Adnan said the state government was still in the process of preparing comprehensive standard operating procedures to ensure pollution would not recur in the future.

The assembly sitting was adjourned sine die.

– BERNAMA