Ngeh & Nga not involved in any logging activities in Kelantan

Appreciation letter by Jabatan Alam Sekitar 

MEDIA STATEMENT

Taiping MP, Nga Kor Ming and Beruas MP, Ngeh Koo Ham not involved in any logging activities in Kelantan.
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Due to the malicious allegations against the MP for Taiping, Nga Kor Ming and I especially in the social media recently accusing us of logging activities and contributing to the flood situation in Kelantan, I seek to make the following clarifications:

1. Taiping MP, Nga Kor Ming and I were not involved and are still not involved in any logging activity in Kelantan or any part of Malaysia. Neither was the company, Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd where we have invested was involved in any such activity (the company has directly and indirectly about 100 shareholders).

2. Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd was and is only involved in the replanting of trees on the piece of land that it has a joint-venture with Yayasan Islam Kelantan (YIK). The present shareholders bought over Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd in 2012. The company had entered into the joint venture agreement in 2006 when it was still under the management of the former shareholders.

Defamation suit against Berita Harian

3. Berita Harian news daily had falsely and maliciously accused us of logging and polluting the rivers in Kelantan at the end of 2012 and we have filed a defamation suit against the writer and The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad, the latter being the owner and publisher of Berita Harian. The case has been fixed for full hearing at the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur in March 2015.

4. Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd has been a very responsible company in replanting the said land. The environmental department (Jabatan Alam Sekitar) has by a letter dated 23/9/2014 put on record its appreciation to the company for implementing and complying with all the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) requirements. The department also praised and congratulated the company for its responsible attitude.

5. Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd spends tens of thousands of ringgit every year to engage environmental consultants and environment auditors to ensure that strict compliance of the EIA requirements.

6. Sedimentation ponds were created in the said land to ensure that the water from the land does not pollute the rivers. Sediments from the running water will be collected in these ponds before the water flows into the rivers.

7. All the rivers in the said land were cleaned and cleared of debris and blockages to enable water to flow smoothly and quickly to prevent any flood.

8. The said land was not affected by the recent flood though it is situated between the towns of Gua Musang and Kuala Krai which were badly affected by the flood. Some may wonder if the development of the said land contributed to the flood in Gua Musang and Kuala Krai. In order to clear all doubts, I would like to state that all the kampongs (villages) surrounding the said land were not affected by the recent flood. If the surrounding villages were not affected by the flood, how can the development of the said land contribute to the flood that is about 65 km away? The said land is about 65 km from Kuala Krai and is also about 65 km from Gua Musang.

9. Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd has brought much benefits to the people of Kelantan in that

(i) It has spent a very substantial amount of money to improve the infrastructure in the area which also benefited the locals. It has built a electricity substation and caused electricity poles and cables to be installed (after the company contributed substantial amount of money to TNB) allowing the locals to have the supply of TNB electricity. The main access road was widen and upgraded and new access roads were built which could also be used by the locals. Rivers were also cleared to avoid flooding.

(ii) About 80% of the company’s employees are local Kelantanese.

(iii) It has created hundreds of job opportunities for the locals.

(iv) This joint venture will also reap huge returns for the Kelantan Government through YIK.

10. Upayapadu Plantation Sdn Bhd has also contributed a share in the RM151,500-00 relief fund that was recently donated by the Persatuan Pengusaha Ladang Negeri Kelantan (Association of Kelantan Land Cultivators) to the Kelantan Government to help flood victims.

We love our country and its people.

As people’s elected representatives, we only seek to bring blessings and not harm to our nation and its people.


Dated this 8th day of January 2015.


YB DATO’ NGEH KOO HAM
MP for Beruas
Perak State Assemblyman for Sitiawan
Deputy Secretary General,
DAP Malaysia