Commenting on the issue of the Balah forest reserve in Gua Musang, Tengku Razaleigh, who is better known as Ku Li, said the Kelantan Government may appear to be unsympathetic to the plight faced by the Orang Asli there, by allowing logging to be conducted in Orang Asli settlements.
However, the state government is not solely to blame as timber is one of Kelantan’s sources of income.
“That’s why I had time and time again suggested for the Constitution to be amended. More resources should be allocated to the states.
“This is especially so as the Constitution was drafted before 1957. There is much more development taking place now.
“But some states not only have no capacity to carry out development projects, but they don’t even have enough money to maintain work done by the Federal Government.
“That’s why for Kelantan, logging is its only income. And illegal logging has made the situation worse,” said the Gua Musang MP.
He said the state and federal governments must sit down and discuss the best way to solve the problem.
When asked if the PAS-led Kelantan Government should prioritise the illegal logging issue over its insistence on amending the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, Ku Li said:
“There are many issues that the state government should push for as the people are a bit tired of the lack of development and of the passive administration.
“If you notice, the youngsters from Kelantan with better education are looking for greener pastures.
“They are seeking better opportunities elsewhere, which is fair as the state cannot provide the necessary facilities for them.”
Rampant logging has been blamed for widespread flooding in Kelantan, including mudfloods in the state in recent years, culminating in a major disaster in 2014.
Ku Li’s remarks also come in the wake of the recent blockade by 200 Temiar Orang Asli who were protesting against logging activities carried out within the Balah forest reserve.
They claimed the logging activities encroached upon lands claimed by the local Temiar community to be their customary lands.
The Kelantan Government later said logging was its main source of income and the logging being carried out was licensed.