National park visit raises some concerns

TAMAN Negara Pahang, Kuala Tahan is easily one of Asia’s best national parks. A lush tropical rainforest that’s said to be 130 million years old, it is a paradise with good facilities and infrastructure.

This park easily qualifies as a natural World Heritage site. It is home to a incredible array of plants and animals that includes endangered tigers, elephants, gaur, tapir and one of the best birding sites in Asia.

My family had just returned from a great holiday there. The forest trekking, animal and bird sightings were amazing. The park was pristine, clean and beautiful. The staff at the only five-star hotel we put up were very helpful and friendly.

However, we were dismayed to hear that the entry price to the park will be increased to RM30 from only RM1. This is a drastic increase of 30 times. It will definitely affect the number of tourists visiting this beautiful heritage. Was there research done or was it an ad hoc decision?

Nevertheless, the Tembeling River, despite the rainy season was reddish brown in colour and was polluted with sediments, indicating there is a lot of unwarranted activities upstream.

We were told that there is heavy logging on the opposite side of Taman Negara. I saw several lorries overloaded with logs when I took the road out of Taman Negara. Is there control on the logging that affects Taman Negara? The state government must be proactive on conservation.

Isn’t the state government interested in preserving these age-old forests, which are part of the state’s rich ecosystem? An explanation by the Forestry Department is due too. The Department of Environment should inspect the Tembeling River promptly and take samples to test the water quality. It should perform due diligence and publish a study on the effects of logging as soon as possible.

This is my 34th visit to Taman Negara and I felt so disturbed when I saw the river pollution.

Finally, why is this beautiful park not designated a natural heritage site?