Media Statement by Ngeh Koo Ham in Ipoh on Tuesday, 20^th September 2011:

Zamry responsible for Belum forest clearing and approval of 68,503 acres of land

Dato' Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, BN Menteri Besar of Perak must own up to the clearing of 74 ha (183 acres) of land at Sungai Mendelum area in Royal Belum and the Temengor Forest Reserve and the approving of 68,503 acres of land since he became MB of Perak.

Perak Forest Department Director, Datuk Nik Mohd Shah Nik Mustafa has confirmed that the BN Perak State Government has approved the logging of the above said 74 ha of land. Zambry has approved or alienated so much land away in the last 2 1/2 years that he has no knowledge of the locations of the lands he has approved.

Logging has also been rampant in many areas and I have received complaints from locals that rampant logging activities have been carried out in Segari and Beruas.

Internal sources have informed me that Dato' Seri Zambry has approved a total of 68,503 acres of land since the grab of power in Feb 2009 till July this year! 60,561.75 acres of which are industrial or agricultural land which was approved at the rate RM375 per acre! Obviously the cronies who received such lands will reap huge profits. They are expected to reap profit of at least 40 times the premium paid. The cronies will profit a staggering RM900,000,000 which is more that the Perak State Government annual budget of about RM800 million ! Despite repeated requests at the State Assembly sittings, he has refused to disclose the recipients of these lands.

Under the Pakatan Rakyat Government we only approved land to the landless and the poor at the nominal premium of RM1,000 per ha. All lands approved for commercial farming will be by open tender which will reap in much higher premium for the people.

I believe that Dato' Seri Zambry has no confidence that BN will win in the next general election or be retained as the Menteri Besar. As such he and his cronies hope to reap as much benefit as possible before the 13th General Election. He will leave behind a host of problems when his cronies who have been alienated the lands or those who bought from them institute eviction proceedings against the farmers who have toiled on their lands for decades.

I challenge him to clear his name with regard to the above matters.

* Ngeh Koo Ham, DAP Perak Chairman & MP for Beruas