Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president Mohamed Idris said although the authorities had expressed their commitment to conserve the environment and ensure sustainable development in the state, the reality left much to be desired.

One of the obvious signs of environmental degradation is the massive destruction of the limestone hills due to quarrying work for granite and marble.

The destruction of the hills can be seen from the North-South Expressway in Simpang Pulai, Perak.

Idris said some of the hills and mountains were missing their sides and middle portions but what people might not realise was the variety of unique flora and fauna that had been lost.

“They changed the land use of forest in the permanent forest reserve to quarrying for granite.

“One of the cases was in Compartments 13, 14, 15 and 16 of Segari Melintang Forest Reserve (HS Segari Melintang), covering 80ha, in 2017.

“The approval for quarrying in the area does not comply with the resolution reached at the 70th Meeting of the National Land Council.

“The council had then recommended that all state governments take initiatives to control or, if possible, avoid any approval of mining and quarrying activities in a permanent forest reserve,” he said in a statement to FMT.