Belum-Temengor - a rolling landscape of tropical rainforest surrounding a massive lake. Situated at the border of Peninsular Malaysia and Thailand, this 300,000 hectares of virgin tropical rainforest is a biodiversity hotspot and a national if not an international heritage. It has been around for more than 130 million years, which makes it older than the Amazon and the Congo. It is home to thousands of species, some found nowhere else in the world. But this magnificent gift from mother earth is facing one of her greatest threats Logging.

Malaysian Nature Society explored this vast rainforest twice, in 1993 and again in 1998 to investigate its hidden treasures. Scientists, students and volunteers combed through the dense forest and found many new and interesting species. From little tree frogs to the Asiatic Elephants, Belum-Temengor had everything to offer the curious minds of national and international researchers. Based on findings in the first expedition, MNS through the German funding agency, GTZ drafted a management plan for the conservation and management of Belum-Temengor.

For many years, through our members, we have monitored this forest. In 1998 a letter from MNS members to a local daily first noted the appearance of logging activity in this area. Since then, MNS has been pushing for a gazettement of this forest.

In the year 2003 the upper corner of the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex was set aside as the Royal Belum Park. The Park area which is only 117, 800 hectares compared to the total area of 300, 000 hectares is just a fragment of the whole Forest Complex, which consists of Upper Belum, Lower Belum and the great Temengor Forest Reserve. Even though the Royal Belum Park has been officially opened, it is yet to be officially gazetted, which leaves it still fragile and open to any type of threat.

The MNS Belum-Temengor Campaign 2006

The campaign aims to achieve the following:

• Gazettement of the Royal Belum State Park
• Extension of the Royal Belum State Park to include the Temengor Forest Reserve
• Protection of a stretch of natural forest flanking the East-West highway from conversion to plantation

How can you participate?

• MNS is distributing postcards addressed to the YAB Menteri Besar of Perak and the YAB Prime Minister of Malaysia for the public to sign. This set of postcards conveys your concern and support to save our natural heritage to these 2 very important decision makers. Just pen down your signature and some simple details about you and send them to the MNS HQ on the prepaid envelopes that we provide.
   
• Postcards can also be found in The Body Shop outlets throughout Peninsular Malaysia. Visit their shops from April 20th to May 18th 2006.

What else can you do to save our rainforests?

• Join as a member of Malaysian Nature Society. Your membership subscription gives us a greater voice when we call for conservation action from the government.
  For membership rates, benefits and application form, please click here...

What else can you do? Check these out:

• Pick up a stack of postcards and prepaid envelopes from the MNS HQ and have them signed by your family members and friends. Please post them to us, the postage is prepaid.
   

• Buy a Candle of Conscience from The Body Shop outlets throughout Peninsular Malaysia. Choose the candle with MNS’ logo; the contribution will come straight to the campaign.
   

• Sign on the online signature form to support MNS’ call to stop all logging activities in Belum-Temengor and to protect this forest complex. Click here for the online signature campaign
   
• Write letters to the Malaysian dailies urging the Federal and State Government to take immediate action and to stop all logging activities in the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex.
   
• Pass this website address (www.mns.org.my) to your family members and friends requesting them to join in your support for the campaign.
   
• Donate to Malaysian Nature Society (please direct all donations to the MNS Belum-Temengor Campaign 2006).
   
• Look out for events that promote this campaign and join them. Your presence will make a big difference to the campaign.
   
• Do your bit today. 130 millions years of evolution and heritage is at the brink of destruction. Your voice DOES make a difference. Help us save Belum-Temengor.

Why Belum-Temengor

There are 12 countries around the world that hold more than 75% of all of Earth’s species. Malaysia is one of these 12 countries. Our rainforests hold such treasures that every time a scientific expedition is held at least 1 new species is found or rediscovered. Yet we are steadily losing our natural heritage due to unsustainable development. Malaysia is listed as having the highest number of plant extinctions by the IUCN and that is not good news for us. Belum-Temengor as a forest complex holds a great amount of biological diversity.

Below are 10 reasons why it is important that this forest is kept intact and protected.

1. The total area of Belum-Temengor is approximately 300,000 hectares, 4 times the size of Singapore. This vast area allows large mammals such as tigers, elephants and rhinoceros to roam and breed and continue to survive.
    
2. Belum-Temengor is identified in the Malaysian National Physical Plan as an Environmentally Sensitive Area Rank 1. It means that Belum-Temengor is nationally important for flora, fauna and for a healthy environment to the citizens of Malaysia. It is noted in this plan that this forest must be protected and left untouched.
    
3. It is internationally recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. It is only in Belum-Temengor that you can find all 10 species of the Malaysian hornbills (Yes! Sarawak only has 8!). This includes the Globally Threatened Plain Pouched Hornbills, which can be seen flying in flocks of more than 2000 individuals. In all, 274 bird species arefound here.
    
4. The forest has more than 3,000 species of flowering plants, which includes 3 species of the Rafflesia (world’s largest flowers), while Cycads, palm-like plants existing since the dinosaur era grow lush among 64 species of ferns and 62 species of mosses.
    
5. It is home to at least 14 globally threatened mammals. These include the Malaysian Tiger (recently recorded as a sub-species on its own apart from the Indo-China Tiger), the Sumatran Rhinoceros, the Asiatic Elephant, the Malayan Tapir, White-handed gibbons, etc.
    
6. The lake in the middle of the Forest Complex is rich with fish life. It has 23 species of freshwater fish and 7 species of turtles.
    
7. The lake also is an important water catchment area. The dam provides electricity to many major cities in Peninsular Malaysia. Continued logging will cause siltation in the dam hence reducing the long-term viability of Temengor Dam as a water source and facility for generating electricity.
    
8. The Belum-Temengor Forest Complex is home to many Orang Asli (indigenous) community. Logging strips them of their home, food, livelihood and heritage.
    
9. Belum-Temengor is one of Malaysia’s wildest places; untouched forest, great wildlife watching opportunities and fantastic landscape views. These provide a greater opportunity for the State Government to earn revenue, an alternative to logging. Responsible ecotourism will bring in many profitable opportunities for the state if the forest is conserved.
    
10. Belum-Temengor is a national treasure. This vast landscape MUST be preserved for the Malaysian children and for the world. It is a treasure we should not have to lose for the sake of making a fast buck or for short term profiting.

Our rainforests are of immeasurable value – for water, for biodiversity, for the health of our planet, as a home for our Malaysian wildlife, as a living laboratory for research, biotechnology, and pharmacology.

Intact rainforests can only increase in value as years pass but logging, in the blink of an eye, strips us of this national heritage.

Contributed by : Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) - Persatuan Pencinta Alam Malaysia