{
  "id": 9048101,
  "title": "4 kerajaan negeri disaran melabur dalam ekopelancongan sebagai alternatif pembalakan",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/4-kerajaan-negeri-disaran-melabur-dalam-ekopelancongan-sebagai-9048101",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-21T23:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2026/09/22/4-kerajaan-negeri-disaran-melabur-dalam-ekopelancongan-sebagai-alternatif-pembalakan"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Four state governments, including Pahang, Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, and Perak, should consider long-term investments such as ecotourism to preserve state-owned forests, rather than short-term gains from logging and clear-cutting, according to environmental conservation advocates. Andrew Sebastian, the president of the Malaysian Ecotourism and Conservation Association, stated that these four states possess significant potential for nature-based tourism and need to develop business plans to capitalize on their natural assets. He emphasized that protecting forests is not only important for tourism potential but also for environmental and economic impacts resulting from deforestation. Deforestation, particularly in Kelantan, could lead to landslides, water supply disruptions, flooding, increased drought risk, and conflict between humans and wildlife, as well as threaten biodiversity. In February 2024, Taman Negara recorded 135,435 visitors, the highest ever, up from 128,592 in 2023. Leong Yu Man, the former director of Tourism Pahang, noted that Singaporean tourists contributed over 60% of foreign tourists visiting Pahang, showing a particular interest in nature-based tourism and ecotourism products. Previously, Pahang rejected Sections 11 and 12 of the National Forest Reserve (Surrender) Act 2022 on August 27. Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, and Perak followed suit before that. These four states encompass 69.3% of the remaining state-owned forests. Perlis, Melaka, Selangor, and the Federal Territory accepted the provisions, while the other four did not. While aggrieved communities can seek judicial review, court action may only come after damage has occurred, according to Sebastian. The president of Malaysian Ecology Federation, Meenakshi Raman, stressed that lawmakers have the responsibility to investigate any measures to safeguard areas designated as state forests. She proposed referring such measures to the Land Council, which formulates national policies for land development, management, and allocation across Peninsular Malaysia. Pahang's Menteri Besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail claimed the state already had its own procedures for forest protection, but Sebastian argued that the state's process does not match the level of protection provided by law, which the public can rely on. Meenakshi noted that this explanation does not address why Pahang rejected the two provisions in question. Meanwhile, Malaysian Ecology President Ahmad Ismail urged a comprehensive study involving agencies responsible for forestry, wildlife, agriculture, irrigation, fisheries, and water supply before any protection measure is taken. He emphasized that any potential economic benefits should be weighed against the environmental, economic, and human impacts resulting from deforestation.",
  "summary": "Penyokong pemuliharaan Andrew Sebastian kata kehilangan litupan hutan boleh meningkatkan risiko banjir, tanah runtuh, gangguan bekalan air dan kemarau.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "4 kerajaan negeri disaran melabur dalam ekopelancongan sebagai alternatif pembalakan",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/4-kerajaan-negeri-disaran-melabur-dalam-ekopelancongan-sebagai",
        "published": "2026-09-21T23:30:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}