Muhyiddin seeks royals’ aid
He appeals for Kukup’s status to be reverted to national park
PETALING JAYA: Insisting that he is a Johorean and not an “outsider”, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is appealing to the Sultan of Johor for Pulau Kukup’s status to be reverted to national park.
Speaking to reporters at the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia headquarters, Muhyiddin, who is former Johor mentri besar, said the status of the national park was not the same as Sultanate land.
“Degazetting and transferring the national park into Sultanate land is changing the ownership.
“I appeal to Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar to return it to what it was before. Now, anyone can go in (to develop),” he said.
Pulau Kukup, he said, should be allowed to remain as a national park to preserve its natural diversity.
“This is my personal view and being a Johorean, I am not an outsider. I have the right to say this.
“I believe anybody can interpret it as not being of the same status. The island can be better managed under the old arrangement.
“The Johor State Park Enactment was initiated by me when I was the mentri besar.
“When that was enacted, all islands and mountains were gazetted as parks, including Pulau Kukup.
“We wanted to make sure these places remain forever.
“At the same time, the Johor State Parks Corporation was set up to manage the parks and they have been doing that since 1997.
“Kukup is one of the most beautiful islands. It is a Ramsar (site), a mangrove swamp (and) one of the largest islands of its kind. We should be proud of that. When I heard that it was degazetted, I was angry,” said Muhyiddin.
Muhyiddin, who is also Home Minister, said there was no need to degazette the island and turn it into Sultanate land to protect it.
Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim had earlier urged “outsiders” not to meddle in the state’s affairs, adding that Pulau Kukup would be better protected as Sultanate land.
“Surely you have heard of the degazettement of reserve land and forests just to build highways and increase city areas. We need strict action to avoid these things from happening in Johor,” he wrote on Facebook yesterday.
Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian said the Sultan had also consented for Pulau Kukup to be preserved as a national park and taken care of by the state government via the Johor National Parks Corporation.
Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar said on Sunday that the Cabinet wanted Pulau Kukup to remain as a national park.
Pulau Kukup, located off the coast of Pontian in south Johor, has been a national park since 1997 and is mostly uninhabited.