Gerakan has slammed the state Forestry Department for its failure to gazette Pulau Jerejak as a permanent forest reserve as well as a State Park.

State Gerakan vice-chairman Teng Chang Yeow said the decision to place Pulau Jerejak as a State Park under the National Forestry Act was made following an amendment at the state level at the Penang State Assembly sitting in May 2007.

Teng, who was former State Executive Councillor in charge of tourism development and environment, said he was shocked to learn that Pulau Jerejak had yet to be gazetted, as mentioned by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in his recent speech at the state level World Forestry Day.

Teng said the Barisan Nasional Administration had made a commitment then to the State Assembly that Pulau Jerejak and Bukit Panchor Forest Park in Seberang Perai Selatan would be made State Parks after gazettement as permanent forest reserve. Bukit Panchor Forest Park was subsequently declared a State Park in August 2007.

“As for Pulau Jerejak, the State Forestry Department had told me several times from July 2007 to February 2008 that steps were being taken to ascertain the boundary of the forest. It was to avoid overlapping as the nearby pieces of land belong to Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and Urban Development Authority (UDA).”

He said he was made to understand then that the State Forestry Department had completed the land survey and was in the process of sending the relevant papers to the then Chief Minister for his signature before gazettement in early February 2008.

The funding for the State Park will be made available from the Federal‘s Forestry Department upon gazettement. The question of funding should not arise at all.”

However, after two years since the amendment to the Act, the State Forestry Department had failed miserably to take quick action to place Pulau Jerejak as a permanent forest reserve and making it as a State Park.

He expressed fear that the State Government’s inaction over the gazettement since March 2008 had raised questions whether the new administration was as keen and committed to preserve the natural environment of the state.

“The department should place its priority to place Pulau Jerejak as a State Park before any change of mind on development on the island. With Pulau Jerejak as State Park, the commitment by the then BN government to preserve the forest and its fauna would be achieved and make Penang the first state in the peninsula to have two state parks and a national park,” he added.