FINAL VERSION FOR APPROVAL - Sdn Bhd - WWF Malaysia

Gunung Stong State Park Preliminary Management Plan
have been offered in Gua Musang for investors in the wood-based industry, and as at
2002, nine of these industries were operational. To spearhead the economics sector,
three subsidiaries were formed: KESEDAR Perkilangan Sdn. Bhd., KESEDAR
Dagang Sdn. Bhd., and KESEDAR Inn Sdn. Bhd.
• Human Development Programme – this includes social and institutional
development, poverty alleviation and village development schemes, with the
objective of changing the attitudes of the population, turning them into disciplined,
far-sighted, resourceful individuals, by training and educating them. Under the
poverty alleviation scheme, aid in the form of agriculture input, cattle rearing, and
house repair, is provided.
• Traditional Villages – restructing and resettling of high flood-risk villages, and
providing basic infrastructure and social services to raise their standard of living.
Special projects such as lemon orchards, nuclear village, and herb gardens, have been
introduced.
• Land Development Schemes (RPT) – the major socio-economic thrust for the
creation of KESEDAR, this is the conversion of large areas of forestland into
monoculture of oilpalm or rubber. Under this scheme, 9,655ha of rubber, and 9,655ha
of oilpalm have been planted, benefiting 2228 families. Expert technical advice is
available from KESEDAR staff and the relevant agencies (MPOB, RRIM, MARDI,
DOA, and Veterinary Department).
• Land Rehabilitation Schemes (RKT) – this is the absorption of the 24 state-owned
land development schemes totaling 29,661ha (24,249ha rubber, 3,484ha oilpalm, and
1,928ha fruit orchards) and 7451 families, into KESEDAR. Like the RPT, basic
facilities, technical advice and agriculture inputs are provided.
• Tourism – tourism products are identified, promoted, and yearly events organised at
the tourism sites identified including tournaments at the 9-hole golf course, the
Nenggiri Challenge, rock-climbing, homestay programmes and visits to the Ethnobotany
Park. The subsidiary responsible for these activities is the KESEDAR Travel
Sdn. Bhd.
There is a major wood processing industry at Meranto, operated by a subsidiary of the state
government: the Kompleks Perkayuan Kelantan (KPK), within a 63.9ha area, some 5km
south of GSSP. With major concessions totaling 92,000ha (JPBD, 1996), from the Balah and
Gunung Berangkat Forest Reserves, KPK produces planks for the export and the domestic
markets.
The Dabong-Gua Musang road cuts through the southeastern part of GSSP, dividing the park
into two portions, a larger western portion containing most of the Gunung Stong massif and
its southern flank and a much smaller eastern portion that contains a hilly area. This smaller
portion contains a significant area of scrubland and there appears to be some encroachment of
fruit orchards and rubber smallholdings into the GSSP area to the east of the Dabong-Gua
Musang road. This presents some potential problems in the management of GSSP as having
two separate portions means that there are more access points into GSSP for illegal activities
and therefore greater management inputs are required. Furthermore, land encroachment will
need to be resolved, either through eviction of illegal settlers (which may require some form
of compensation) or excision of these small areas from the GSSP area.
2.8 Socio-Economy
Agriculture, animal husbandry, logging and fisheries are the leading contributor to the GDP
of the Kuala Krai district, though declining from RM61.3 million (1980) to RM53.4 million
(1995). There are three major crops – rubber, fruits and oilpalm – with the area under rubber
comprising 59.9% (25,959ha out of the total 93,515ha under agriculture in the district)
followed by fruit orchards, 21.9% (9,487ha) and oilpalm, 13.7 % (5,927ha) (JPBD, 1996).
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