Several environmental NGOs today urged Putrajaya to discourage the practice of allowing commercial, single-species plantations within permanent forest reserves.

This comes as the government is in the midst of finalising the latest version of the Malaysian Forestry Policy (Dasar Perhutanan Malaysia).

In a press conference today, Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) field officer Meor Abdul Razak Meor Abdul Rahman said such “forest plantations” were harmful to the forest ecosystem.