Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Ahmad Yakub said weaknesses in enforcement efforts to monitor the forest clearing activities in Hulu Kelantan as well as the attitude of dishonest contractors were among the factors that had led to uncontrolled encroachment of land and forest in the state.     

He said although the state government had been monitoring the development of works being carried out in highland areas, land encroachment was still rampant.    

Ahmad, who is also State Public Administration and Land and Regional Development Committee chairperson, said this to Bernama when asked to comment on a report alleging that the state government had failed to tackle the issue of land encroachment to the extent of affecting the environment and the ecology system in Hulu Kelantan.     

Prior to this, Kelantan Umno Liaison Committee chairman Mustapa Mohamed was reported as saying that the state government was supposed to set up an independent committee to carry out investigation concerning the environmental pollution due to land and forest clearing for plantation and logging.     

Ahmad said the issue of land and forest encroachment could be tackled when the state government enforced a new regulation to impose a higher security deposit of RM100,000 to the operators of land development projects as compared to RM6,000 stipulated under the current land enactment.     

"Under the regulation, the deposit is forfeited when the project developer breaches the contract," he added.     

- Bernama