Belum-Temengor Rain Forests

I always have that ecstatic feeling whenever I am in the natural rain forests. This love for nature has been inculcated early, being born and raised on the idyllic island of Langkawi and subsequently joining the many trips as a scout camping in the forests. In my 10 years in Sabah I trekked in many of its parks and forests - Kinabalu Park, the Crocker Range, Danum Valley, Maliau Basin, Long Pasia. I had this chance again to be in the forest when I was in the surrounding of the Belum-Temengor on March 13 and 14, 2009. It was to attend the meeting of the Pulau Banding Foundation.

2. I departed from Kuala Lumpur on the Friday 13 afternoon heading to the Pulau Banding Resort, driving north to Ipoh and Kuala Kangsar on the North-South Highway and at Kuala Kangsar, taking the Grik route to Pulau Banding, a total driving time of around four hours.

3. The participants at the meeting were accommodated at the Belum Rainforest Resort, which is located on Pulau Banding, an island in the Temengor Lake. The shareholders of the Resort promotes it, appropriately, as the gateway to nature - the rich natural heritage in Belum-Temengor Rain Forests (BTRF).

4. BTRF extends over an area of 300 000 ha reported to be 130 million years old. Driven by its conservation objective, the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)embarked on two scientific expeditions, the first covering a period of 1993 and 1994 and the second in 1998 with the purpose of inventorising its biodiversity-the fauna and flora and the many different ecosystems. It is truly rich in biodiversity. It is reported to contain 44 species of mammals with a sizeable population of elephants, tapirs, sun bears and tigers. Seventy-one species of birds are found here and what is amazing is that it has the world's largest seasonal congregation of hornbills with all the 10 Malaysian species. On the flora side, the species numbers are high for mosses, flowering plants, wild fruits an ginger. It also carries the Rafflesia species. Its water fishes are known for snakehead (haruan and toman)and kelah.

5. With this wealth of biodiversity in BTRF and realising the rapid deforestation in many forested areas in the country, MNS pushed for its gazettement. It was not easy. Belum Forest was subsequently gazetted as the Royal Belum in 2003. MNS's contribution to the conservation of Royal Belum was recognised with the inaugural award of the Merdeka Award in the category of ENVIRONMENT.

6. But Temengor and the Grik Forest Reserves remain outside the gazettement area. This is not too satisfactory to the NGO as these two forests are integral components of the wildlife and plant habitats in the Complex. MNS is campaigning for the inclusion of both forests to be conserved.

7. The concern for the sustainable management of BTRF initially led to the establshment of an advisory panel with representatives from Govt departments such as FRIM, universities, state government, NGO and the private sector, which at its deliberations, formulated a Charter known as Pulau Banding Charter and proposed the establishment of the Pulau Banding Foundation (PBF). The Charter sets the framework and guidelines for the sustainable development of BTRF and PBF is the its catalyst and operational arm.

8. PBF received its intial seed fund from Emkay Founadtion which went to the establishment of the Reasearch Centre and the recruitment of skeletal staff to man and administer it. The meeting of the PBF Board that was held on Saturday March 14 was devoted, among others, to discuss the expedition of an Integrated Management Plan for BTRF.

9. At the meeting members of the Board were introduced to Dayang Norfaezah who has agreed to serve as the celebrity ambassador to PBF. Whilst welcoming her and familiarising her with the objectives of PBF and the conservation efforts of BTRF, the Board feels that her presence will enable the message of conservation and protection of the rainforests to reach the young generations.

10. The post-meeting activity was the visit to Sg. Enam, a 30 minute express boat trip from the Resort. We were at the location at around 3.00 pm and the reception we received was a melodious sound of crickets. It was so soothing and an undescibeable beautiful feeling of one's commune with nature. It is this feeling that pushes me to be in the forest natural surrounding again and again.

11. It is at Sg. Enam that an adventure facility with a few chalets and camping areas are being constructed. The chalets are designed on the orang asli environment friendly use of materials and simple need and constructed on higher side on both sides Sg. Enam. The River area has also been chosen as, its clear and rippling flow of water would be conducive for the breeding and multiplication of 'ikan kelah' which, with land clearing and overfishing, has depleted the numbers of kelah and other fishes, which were in abundance in the waters BT a few years back. The project of rehabilitating kelah in BTFR is being spearheaded by Prof. Mashhor of USM Penang.

12. It is so nice to be back to nature.