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Date Issued: 26 th February 2013For Immediate ReleaseMalaysian Nature Society (MNS)JKR 641 Jalan Kelantan, Bukit Persekutuan50480 Kuala LumpurTel: + 6 03 2287 9422 Fax: + 6 03 2287 8773POLITICIANS! MAKE A GREEN STAND!THE MALAYSIAN NATURE SOCIETY (MNS) CALLS FOR NATURE CONSERVATION ANDENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION TO BE KEY ISSUES OF THE GENERAL ELECTIONSThe Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) notes with serious concern the recent cases ofenvironmental mismanagement that have been highlighted by the media, and calls onall political parties to pledge real action to halt unsustainable development.The recent case of the 14 poisoned pygmy elephants and the continued widespreaddeforestation points to fundamental weaknesses in forest management in States run byboth the ruling and opposition coalitions. In the upcoming general elections, MNS willencourage the public to support candidates and parties who pledge (within 100 daysafter elected to office) to rectify these weaknesses by putting in place the appropriatemeasures to ensure the following:1) For state forest enactments to be amended to include mandatory publicconsultation prior to the excision of forest reserves;2) All forest clearing and logging done within the Permanent Forest Reserves (PFR)and Stateland Forests must be in compliance with spatial plans and land usepolicies of the country (such as the National Physical Plan and the Central ForestSpine Masterplan);3) Natural forests classified as Environmentally Sensitive Areas Rank 1 and 2 (asdescribed under the National Physical Plan) should not be cleared. These areasinclude the steep land areas above 300m, water catchments, wetland areasincluding rivers, lakes and coastal mangrove forests, and protected areas. All theunsustainable and/or incompatible developments taking place in these areas mustbe stopped or removed to safeguard the environment and the country’s richbiological biodiversity, including protecting human life and livelihood.PRESS RELEASE4) Local communities must give their free, prior and informed consent to clearingand logging activities near their settlements, and in the case of indigenouscommunities, on their tanah adat (traditional land). Encourage and promote theempowerment of such communities to take responsibility for using their forestwisely, through increased participation of stakeholders in the management of saidforests.

Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)JKR 641 Jalan Kelantan, Bukit Persekutuan50480 Kuala LumpurTel: + 6 03 2287 9422 Fax: + 6 03 2287 8773Furthermore, key sites that are identified as ‘Environmentally Sensitive Areas’ (ESAs) inlocal structure plans are often ignored when forest clearing and logging activitiescommence. State Parks, Virgin Jungle Reserves, Wildlife Sanctuaries, WaterCatchment Forests and Coastal Mangrove Forests are also not safe from development,with an increasing number of highways and commercial development beingestablished in these nominally protected areas.Finally, MNS would like to draw attention to the fact that in order for sustainabledevelopment to take place it is necessary that the general public is consulted and theirview is taken into consideration. In this respect, the rights of the local communities(such as the Orang Asal of Malaysia) are respected and their views taken into accountprior to the commencement of land clearing or logging activities in areas nearbyand/or on their tanah adat.It is with these concerns above that MNS has decided to take a proactive stand today,to demand all politicians and political parties to make public their green manifestocommit towards the preservation of Nature and the Environment. MNS notes withconcern that regardless of political regime or alignment, Malaysia's natural resourcesare still badly managed and consistently degraded and threatened. MNS hopes thatthe Malaysian public will support this important call to lobby for the conservation andprotection of Malaysia’s natural heritage (focusing on biological diversity andsustainable development), and make the up-coming General Elections a truly GREENELECTION.Prof Dr. Maketab MohamedPresidentMalaysian Nature Society- END –For more information, please contact:Balu Perumal, Head of Conservation: hod.conservation@mns.org.myAndrew J Sebastian, Head of Communications: hod.communications@mns.org.myTel: 03-22879422 Fax: 03-22878773 URL: www.mns.my