Groups renew call to save Gunung Kanthan from quarrying
Environmental NGOs warn of threat to endangered species and the limestone hill losing its status as a geosite in the Kinta Valley National Geopark.
A coalition of 10 environmental organizations has urged the Perak government to safeguard Gunung Kanthan, a limestone hill within the Kinta Valley National Geopark, from quarrying activities. The groups claim that extending the quarry's land lease in 2020 and a proposed expansion to cover Zone C and D threatens endemic species and the hill's geosite status.
These zones are home to critically endangered flora and fauna, including trapdoor spiders and bent-toed geckos. The NGOs argue that the lease extension conflicts with the land-use zoning in the Ipoh City Local Plan 2035 and the previous Ipoh Local Plan 2020, which called for a halt to further quarrying within the administrative area.
The coalition, including Sahabat Alam Malaysia and Greenpeace, hopes the state will prioritize preserving Gunung Kanthan and maintain its national geopark recognition. The appeal comes after monks from the century-old Sakyamuni Caves Monastery pleaded with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to intervene over the potential eviction and demolition due to quarrying.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Groups renew call to save Gunung Kanthan from quarrying freemalaysiatoday.com
