Pahang S Tersang Forest Project Violates Govt Policy Risks Environment

---

 


Civil society groups and independent experts are sounding the alarm over the proposed 1,289ha forest plantation in Pahang’s Tersang Forest Reserve, warning that it flouts national policy and threatens biodiversity, water security, and indigenous communities.
Most alarming, the Pahang state executive council approved the plan in March 2022, just four months after the National Land Council’s (NLC) December 2021 resolution imposing a moratorium on new forest plantation approvals in permanent reserved forests (PRF).
Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) said it is shocked by the clear disregard for the moratorium and called on the federal government to explain the approval.
“We call for an explanation on how this is possible and what the federal government intends to do in this regard,” it said.
ADS“The proposed project is in direct conflict with the NLC’s moratorium,” read SAM’s review of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report on the project.
The public review of the EIA for the 1,289.63ha monoculture forest plantation in HS Tersang ends today, with Department of Environment sources confirming a scheduled meeting with project proponent Summit Rex Sdn Bhd next week.
A review of the EIA report by Malaysiakini last month found that the report itself notes that halting the 1,289ha Tersang project would bring “significant” benefits for ecosystems, wildlife, and Orang Asli communities, while warning of risks to protected species, arsenic-laced rivers, and Semai livelihoods.
Yet despite these red flags, 58 percent of surveyed residents supported the plan for economic reasons, though nearly one in five opposed it due to environmental concerns and weak compliance.
Quotas breached
Beyond breaching federal policy, the project adds to a wider problem: Pahang has already exceeded the national quota for forest plantations, as highlighted in the Auditor-General’s Report 2022.
SAM pointed out that large tracts of approved plantation land remain unplanted, yet new approvals continue.
“HS Tersang alone already has more than 7,100 ha of monoculture plantations approved,” it said.
Wildlife at risk
Ecologist Lim Teckwyn said the project’s approval not only disregarded national policy but also the state’s own forest zoning. 
Citing a map of the Pahang Forest Plantation Zone, he noted that the site is designated as a natural forest, not a plantation.
The ecological stakes are equally severe. The proposed site is home to fully protected species and remains rich in biodiversity, serving as a crucial habitat and roaming ground that helps reduce human-wildlife conflict.
ADS“But clearing such a large tract will instead isolate wildlife populations, as HS Tersang is ringed by settlements and cut off from other forest complexes,” SAM warned.
SAM also warns that the EIA report contains no credible mitigation measures for the permanent loss of habitat and roaming grounds.
“Wildlife will have no refuge to move into once clearing begins,” SAM said, adding that disturbance will occur directly from habitat disruption and destruction - a recipe for escalating human-wildlife conflict.
A monkey killed by passing trafficLim also dismissed the EIA’s finding of only 50 to 70 plant species as unsurprising even in oil palm estates, stressing it does not justify breaching the forest plantation moratorium.
EIA credibility questionable
SAM's review highlighted a serious weakness in the credibility of the EIA report: the study team did not include specialists in forestry, botany, or zoology.
“Without proper expertise, the report fails in credibility and thoroughness,” it said.
For example, the EIA omitted the local names of flora species, making it harder for the public to provide informed feedback.
It also failed to identify tree species vital for wildlife, which, under the National Forestry Council’s 2006 resolution, must not be felled during forest harvesting.
“Such omissions undermine both public participation and compliance with national forestry standards,” the review noted.
Devastating impact on Orang Asli
Adding to policy breaches, SAM also points out that the EIA offers no credible mitigation for the project’s impact on local communities, especially the Orang Asli.
“For many living near the proposed site, forest resources remain both a primary and supplementary source of income.
“Clearing the original forest cover for a monoculture plantation would shrink their roaming grounds, including customary lands, and directly undermine their livelihoods.
“The destruction of the forest will cut off access to resources the Orang Asli depend on, from food and forest products to their ancestral territories,” SAM’s review noted.
Disruption to water treatment plants
The project also threatens critical water and air resources, with serious consequences for communities downstream.
Forest clearing and land preparation are expected to trigger erosion, sedimentation, and pollution of tributaries feeding into Sungai Lipis and Sungai Jelai.
Sungai Jelai“Turbidity, sludge, and even oily residues could disrupt the intake operations of the Benta and Sungai Jelai water treatment plants,” SAM warned.
The risks are not limited to water. 
Air quality will deteriorate as clearing releases carbon dioxide, particulates, and pollutants while reducing oxygen output.
“The project will raise local temperatures, reduce humidity, and threaten residents’ health, while also damaging soil fertility and the growth of crops,” SAM added.
Chemical health expert Dr Vivien How agreed to the concerns surrounding the Benta and Jelai water treatment plants downstream.
She warned that the Tersang project carries severe risks to water security, aquatic ecosystems, flood resilience, and community health.
She told Malaysiakini that clearing and earthworks would drive erosion and sedimentation, reduce river flow capacity and aggravate flash floods, directly threatening the Benta and Jelai water treatment plants.
Soil erosion“Sedimentation will degrade water quality, harm fish, and destroy spawning grounds,” she said, adding that pesticides and hydrocarbons would compound the toxicity.
“The EIA itself admits that without mitigation, impacts will be very high. Even with controls, risks to water, flooding, and health remain serious,” she said.
Potential gold mine
The EIA also raises questions about mining potential. 
“While presented as a plantation project, it notes gold deposits within the site and directs planners to the explicit requirement to ‘consider their future value’ under the country’s resource stewardship policies.
“This doesn’t mean mining will happen immediately,” How said, “but it keeps gold extraction firmly on the table.” - Mkini

---