PAS-led Kedah State government should look for other avenues such as agro-base industry, tourism, High-Tech Park in Kulim to make money for the state, instead of just bagging on the God’s gift. There is no short cut in governing a state, it need hard work and long term strategy. Logging in the Kuala Muda Forest Reserve area would lead to catastrophic effect such as flooding in Kedah, as Kedah is a low-lying area.

The action of the logging in the Ulu Muda forest reserve is also against the 15- points PAS election manifesto which states development must that not have adverse impact on quality of air and water and on jungles.

The adamant attitude of Menteri Besar also shown that PAS-led state government is not only arrogant, but also wayward in the thinking. The state government may brush aside the political critics, but they should taken the views of non-government organizations (NGO) such as Sahabat-Alam Malaysia (SAM), Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) and Malaysian Nature Society.

A state committee consisting of government officers, opposition parties, Federal environment agencies, NGO should be formed to study the impact of the logging plan.There is no way the logging activity would be environmentally friendly as no one is able to select a decaying tree in a forest.

Logging can only produce a few instant millionaires. The Kedah State Government should concentrate to create more job opportunities for the Kedah people. This can be done with the efforts to attract more investments in Kulim High-Tech Park and improve the tourism industry in Langkawi. More lands should be opened up for padi farming. The idle padi land in the urban area should be allowed to develop for industry used.

The government also should increased its crop yield for every hectare of farmland so as to produce more food for its people.This is possible through improvements in agricultural technology, effectiveness of plantation management, upgrading plantation equipment and increasing farmland irrigation.

The proposed logging is liken to killing a goose to get its eggs.

Dr.Cheah Soon Hai
ADUN Derga, Kedah Darul Aman