|
|
BORNEO-MALAYSIA
PROJECT |
|
|
|
|
November
2000
Dear people,
We want to inform you about the proposed forest plantation and pulp mill
plantation project called "B… W… P…". This
project will convert 241,399 ha of lowland tropical rainforest, which
has the highest biodiversity on earth, into a mono-culture, single
species, tree plantation. The tree planted is Acacia magium -a
soft wood species, introduced from Australia- and is intended to feed a
huge pulp and paper mill.
|
|
Clouded
Leopards and more species in danger
|
|
|
The
project in question is a joint-venture between China and Malaysia.
The location of this plantation is at the heart of Sabah, in the
largest lowland forest remaining in Sabah, between the Danum
Valley and the Maliau Basin Conservation Areas.
The plantation will eventually cut the linkage zone and corridor
between these two important protected rainforests. The first stage
of logging has already been carried out last year which has caused
the Segama River -the river that runs through Danum Valley Field
Center- to become muddy and highly sedimented. The second phase of
forest clearing will soon to be implemented. Many efforts have
been done to stop this project but unfortunately all failed, due
to high-authority procedures (Prime Minister).
If the forest became cleared to the proposed project size, this
should mean that the following amount of "mega-wildlife"
in the country will lose their habitat and die. To make the
calculation easier, we used 2000 km2 of forest, instates of 2413
km2 as proposed in the project.
|
| |
SPECIES
(Animals in this forest) |
DENSITY |
NUMBER
|
|
| |
Elephant
|
1
elephant/7 km2 |
286
elephants |
|
| |
Sun
bear |
1
bear/ 4 km2 |
500
bears |
|
| |
Clouded
leopard |
1
leopard/ 4 km2 |
500
leopards |
|
| |
Orangutan |
1
orangutan/ km2 |
2,000
orangutan |
|
| |
Gibbons
* |
1
group of gibbon/ km2 |
6,400
groups of gibbons |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
*
A gibbon's group consists of 2-3 individuals. |
|
The
density of animals is referred from "A Fauna Survey of
Sabah" (Davies and Payne, 1982), published by WWF (World
Wildlife Fund).
We are very frustrated here as we tried many ways to stop
"the biggest disaster" in Southeast Asia. The
political power involved is too big for us to do anything. We
hope you can report something about this catastrophe and let the
world know that we are losing our priceless biodiversity. The
problem is not just losing the forest, wildlife and
biodiversity; it also creates more and more catastrophe to this
part of the world such as, pollution (waste from the pulp mill),
fire (very dry Acacia magium plantations burn easily),
social (many illegal workers will be imported) and hunting. All
of the animals mentioned above, plus many many more will be
doomed, if we don't act NOW.
Anyway,
in the future communication via email, try to avoid using the
full name of the project, i.e., B.....W.....P.... The whole
environment in Sabah is pretty "hot" about this issue.
You guys should act while everything is still hot. Local NGOs
are too weak to do something. We can't rely on them, we need
people like you.
We thank you on behalf of all the flora and fauna of the forest
that call this forest HOME.
Here are the addresses of the Prime Minister of Malaysia and
some other top decision makers that you and your friend should
raise the concern over the BWP. Please write to them asking to
stop this project. Thank you very much again. |
|
Dato
Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad - Prime Minister of Malaysia
Prime Minister Office
Federal Government Administration Center
62502 Putrajaya
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: 603-88888000
Fax: 603-88883444
email: ppm@smpke.jpm.my
YAB Datuk Seri Panglima Osu Hj Sukam - Chief Minister of Sabah
Tingkat
25, Bangunan Yayasan Sabah
88502 Kota Kinabalu
Sabah
Malaysia
email: ketuamenteri@sabah.gov.my
TB Datuk Chong Kah Kiat - Minister of Ministry of Tourism
Development, Environment, Science and Technology
Tingkat 5-7, Menara Sabah Bank
Wisma Tun Fuad Stephens
Karamunsing
88300 Kota Kinabalu
Sabah
Malaysia
email: menteri.mted@sabah.gov.my |
|
|
|
