‘Get a permit before you enter forest reserves’
IPOH: Extreme sports enthusiasts should not enter forest reserves if they do not have permits from the Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Department.
Its deputy director-general Datuk Roslan Ariffin said the permits were necessary for their safety.
“If there is no permit, it would be hard for search-and-rescue operations and they wouldn’t be covered by insurance.
“It is not difficult to apply for a permit. It’s only about RM30 and there are even some states offering RM10 for a permit,” he said after a dialogue and briefing session by the department on the Environmental Quality (Environmental Impact Assessment) Order 2015.
He said those who failed to apply for a permit could be charged under Section 47 of the National Forestry Act 1984, with a maximum three years’ jail sentence or a fine of up to RM10,000.
“We ask for their cooperation to get permission first.
If it is raining, it is not advisable to enter the jungle,” he said.
On a report by the New Straits Times about foreigners being involved in illegal logging activities, Roslan said such groups normally targeted areas with high value forests such as Cameron High- lands.
He said the department was consistent in its efforts to protect forest reserves from encroachment but admitted that there were issues that needed to be addressed such as cooperation from other agencies, nongovernmental organisations and communities.
“It is important that other agencies, non-governmental organisations and villagers help to address this problem by becoming department’s eyes and ears,” he said.
On arming forest rangers with firearms, Roslan said there were states where some of the department officers had been issued weapons.
“Directors and officers have pistols, while other personnel have shotguns. So far, officers in Perlis, Melaka and the Federal Territories have not been issued firearms,” he said.