Pulau Kukup forest reserve status restored: Report

KUALA LUMPUR (March 6): The Pulau Kukup’s forest reserve status has been restored according to a Johor state government gazette published on Jan 31, reported Malaysiakini today  

The gazette has written that the area will be “reserved as the Pulau Kukup National Park Reserve under the control of the Director of National Parks (Johor) as per a decision by the state government on Jan 7”.

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It was reported last December that Pulau Kukup was de-gazetted from a national park to become crown land.

Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim wrote in a tweet back then that “To better protect all national parks, Sultan Ibrahim [Johor ruler His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar] decreed that all the national parks be changed to Sultanate land.” 

Later, Johor Menteri Besar Osman Sapian clarified with the state legislative assembly “that Pulau Kukup would be treated as a national park regardless of the land status”.

After that, Sultan Ibrahim “decreed that Pulau Kukup would be gazetted as a national park according to Schedule II of the Sultanate Land Enactment 1934”.

However, the Jan 31 gazette states that the Johor state government invoked Subsection 3(4) of the National Parks (Johor) Corp Enactment 1989 instead, reported the news portal.

Pulau Kukup is one of three wetlands in Johor recognised by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, with Sungai Pulai mangrove forest and Tanjung Piai being the other two.

Malaysia is a signatory of the convention.