According to the report, large tracts of land have been cleared in the Bukit Relau and Bukit Penara forest reserves to make way for farming and orchards, respectively.

The Bukit Relau reserve, which dates back to 1911, is badly affected, with areas in almost every direction encroached into for the planting of ginger, said the report.

A source told the daily that many of the farms on the 69-hectare forest reserve had been recently set up.

He said the forest reserve was one of the last expanses of protected forests on the hills of Paya Terubong and Teluk Kumbar, and losing it would translate into the loss of an “important natural habitat”.

As a result of the encroachment, streams in the forest had become smaller due to diversion of water into the farms, and there was a possibility of landslides, warned the source.

The encroachment into Bukit Penara from two sides was not as bad as that on Bukit Relau, said the report, with remedial works already being done by the Forestry Department on one side.

The daily also spoke to Sahabat Alam Malaysia President SM Mohamed Idris, who said they had written to the Forestry Department to enquire about the reserves, but had yet to receive a response.

Penang Environment Committee Chairman Phee Boon Poh told the daily that the State Government had started investigating the matter and was in the midst of reviewing the course of action to be taken.