Source : The Star, Malaysia, 01 Dec '04
By : The Star
  

The state's Second Minister for Planning and Resource Management Datuk Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said various studies were done on the park in the Betong Division under a four-year project which would end this month.

The Malaysia-Holland funded Maludam-Ramin project comprised two components.

The first is a detailed study on the park’s wildlife, soil, hydrology and ecotourism.

The second is research on the ecophysiology of ramin wood and the sustainable management of peat swamp forests.

The consultants, according to project director Dr Penguang Manggil, had documented their findings and recommendations, which were discussed at a workshop opened by Awang Tengah here yesterday.

Awang Tengah said the park was also home to the endangered proboscis monkey which was endemic to Borneo, the Storm’s Stork and at least four species of hornbills – the official state bird.

Although the forests had been selectively logged before the park was gazetted four years ago, he said a good number of other rare wild animals still remained there together with a wide diversity of peat swamp flora and fauna.

Maludam is the state’s second largest national park at 43,147ha.

Awang Tengah said a proposal to extend the park by another 9,125ha had been submitted to the state Cabinet.

He said as there were Iban, Malay and Chinese settlements in the park periphery, a more detailed study on the socio-economic well-being of these communities should be carried out.

The study, he said, would help to find alternative sustainable livelihoods for them to reduce the pressure on the park’s resources.