Its director-general, Nor Akhirruddin Mahmud, said claims that road-clearing work was going on for logging purposes were not true as it was actually an old road built for logging activities, which was no longer in use.
“The road was re-used to carry out machinery used after logging activities in the forest were completely stopped,” he told Bernama when met here yesterday.
Akhirruddin was met at the Terosot Forest Restoration, Reclaimed and Recovery Programme in compartment 46, Lentang Forest Reserve, Janda Baik here today.
The programme was launched by Tengku Arif Temenggong Pahang Tengku Fahd Muad’zam Shah Sultan Ahmad Shah.
Last Thursday, Malaysian Natural Heritage Protection Organisation (Peka) president Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil had claimed that fresh logging activity was taking place in the Merapoh Forest, about 10km from a recent logging area.
She claimed that road-clearing works were being carried out in stages, adding that a notice in the area stated that logging would involve 668.79ha on land owned by the Pahang Agricultural Development Board, in the mukim of Batu Yon, using a license due to expire on Dec 14.
After halt to logging at Merapoh, DOE looks at rehabilitation