Papar: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman has been urged to intervene in the alleged illegal logging that is continuing at the Kg Kaiduan native grazing reserve, a virgin jungle of 810 hectares (2,000 acres), here.Sabah Keadilan Public Complaints Bureau Chief, Christina Liew, said nothing was done by the relevant authorities to halt the logging despite the villagers' protests.
"Failure to take appropriate action or non-enforcement of the law can also be misconstrued as some 'hanky-panky' going on and certainly not in line with (PM) Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's policy of a clean, transparent and trustworthy government," she said.
She noted that Musa acted speedily in the wake of a police report lodged by Silam Member of Parliament, Samsu Baharun Abdul Rahman over alleged illegal encroachment into the Sapagaya Forest Reserve.
"That is very good on his part to show that the government is serious about curbing illegal logging.
"I hope he will do likewise in the case of Kg Kaiduan native grazing reserve. The people are banking on the Chief Minister, especially since he recently declared the State Government's stand to go all-out against illegal logging.
"He (Musa) had said action would be taken against those involved in illegal logging, irrespective of whether they were ordinary citizens or government servants," she said.
Liew, who is also Keadilan Sabah Deputy Head, made the call after meeting members of the Grazing Reserve Area and Trustee Fund Committee at the village.
She was informed that the committee, headed by the present village chief of Kg Kaiduan, had not met since June 1995.
"I was told that earlier, certain people went from house to house to collect names purportedly in support of a company's intention to implement an agricultural project in the grazing reserve. However, the matter was never brought before the committee for consultation and endorsement." She said the people were not anti-development but want any move to develop the native grazing reserve to comply with the necessary procedures.
Accompanied by the Committee's Secretary l Frederick Sulip, Assistant Secretary Jila Mojinul and other villagers, Liew visited the site which necessitated treading on slippery earth and crossing a rocky stretch of the Papar River with strong currents.
She said she was approached by villagers who complained that timber felling was still going on in the grazing reserve despite voicing their grievances with the relevant authorities.
Sulip who is also former Kg Kaidun Village Security and Development Committee (JKKK) Chairman produced a letter dated Nov. 6 from the Land and Survey Department, in response to his complaint dated Sept 7.
"Based on the letter and other correspondences, it is clear that the application for proposed development of the native grazing reserve has not been approved by the authorities," she stressed.
"In fact," Liew said, "more logging had been carried out at the site since its expose in the media on Nov. 1. There were two tractors at the site. Who gave the company concerned the authority to move in to clear the grazing reserve and fell the timber?
"There must surely be somebody behind all this and I hope the CM investigates. On Sunday (Nov. 1), on the way to the site, I came across another spot with freshly-cut timber.
"And I was surprised to find two other new routes inland which were allegedly opened up by the loggers. It is a daring act on the part of the perpetrators despite the hue and cry (to the State Forestry Department, Office of Natural Resources under the Chief Minister's Department (JKM) and the Sabah Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) since the beginning of the month."
Liew contended that "it makes one wonder if we are living in a lawless State because this is going on in broad daylight?
"Where is the rule of law? Where are the enforcement personnel? Who is actually the authority when it comes to illegal logging?" she asked.
