PEKAN: When the Pahang government gazetted an area measuring 4,498 hectares in Tasik Chini near here as a permanent forest reserve two years ago, it was seen as the first "firm" step towards efforts to rehabilitate the lake.
This was followed with promises not to approve any new mining lease in the area around the lake and efforts to declare the country's second-largest freshwater lake as a state park.
Just when many assumed the lake will finally have a new lease of life, reports that the state government has approved a new mining site about 3km from Tasik Chini last week has raised questions if the plans to revive the forgotten lake remains only promises on paper.
Environmentalist Puan Sri Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil said there appears to be no end to the long-standing issues including unregulated mining and logging activities surrounding Tasik Chini.
"Tasik Chini and environment issues in the vicinity have become inseparable. When will all this come to an end? The lake has been plagued by issues for quite a long time and there seems to be no solution....issues at the lake have been highlighted on numerous times and it appears to be going in circles(reported again and again).
"Tasik Chini is a dying lake and the issues can be only solved when we are sincere with efforts to preserve the lake. People will become upset when the authorities are not able to walk the talk or keep to their word," she said.
Shariffa Sabrina, who is also the Malaysian Natural Heritage Protection Organisation (Peka) president, said looking at the current situation, the lake might have its days numbered.
Urging society to stand up and speak about environmental issues, she said some appeared to be less bothered about it, especially when they realise there were others including non-governmental organisations championing the respective issue.
On June 3, an online portal reported that the Pahang government has given the green light for mining operations in the vicinity of Tasik Chini in Pekan to a royalty-linked company.
The project raised eyebrows as the state government had promised some two years ago that it will not approve any new mining lease around Tasik Chini to revive the lake into an ecotourism site.
Once described as a floating garden with thousands of white and pink lotus flowers covering the lake's surface, Tasik Chini has been in the spot light for the wrong reasons for more than a decade due to extensive mining and logging activities.
Meanwhile, environmentalist Ali Akbar Othman said the state government should come forward to explain the matter and shed light on how the mining activities were allowed in an area, which has been gazetted as a permanent forest reserve.
"What we know is that the state government was supposed to rehabilitate the lake area as a tourism spot, but news about an approved mining site has raised questions. We hope the state government will clear the air as the people need an answer," said Ali Akbar, whose non-governmental organisation led the anti-bauxite campaign in the state capital several years ago.
The New Straits Times is waiting for the state government and Chini assemblyman Mohd Shahrim Md Zain to comment.