IPOH, Dec 3 — Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said the 548.1 hectares of the Segari Melintang Permanent Forest Reserve in Manjung, which was de-gazetted for quarry activities, has been replaced.

Saarani said the state government gazetted approximately 1,000 hectares of land at the Durian Pipit Forest Reserve in Hulu Perak as a replacement site on May 18.

"Under Sections 11 and 12 of the National Forestry Act 1984, the state authority may remove or abolish permanent forest reserves for economic purposes.

"The cancellation must be replaced with a land area approximately the same size,” he told the Perak State Legislative Assembly today.

Saarani was responding to a question from Gunung Semanggol assemblyman Razman Zakaria on measures the state took to preserve flora and fauna in the Segari Melintang Permanent Forest Reserve.

He said the state government has taken the initiative to realign areas where quarrying is active within the Segari Melintang Permanent Forest Reserve to comply with the National Land Council’s policy.

"The results of the review conducted on the area showed there is active quarrying and existing approvals for extracting and processing granite under the classification of production forests,” he said.

He added that ongoing and future quarry activities in the area, now revoked as part of the forest reserve, will be subject to the application of mineral tenements.

"This includes mining leases under the Perak Mineral Enactment 2003, and they will be managed together with applications under the Mineral Development Act 1994 (Act 525), the Environmental Quality Act 1974 (Act 127), the Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172), and other relevant laws and regulations.

"This is to ensure all quarrying activities are conducted sustainably and align with the responsible mining agenda outlined in the Perak Sejahtera Plan 2030,” he said.

Saarani said the state is also reviewing the suitability and potential of areas within the Segari Melintang Permanent Forest Reserve, particularly compartment 15, to designate them as protection forests or production forests.

"The state government is committed to achieving the goal of sustainable forest management.

"Therefore, the results of the review of these areas will be included in the Perak State Forest Management Plan 2026-2035,” he said.