PGL defiled mossy wonderland in Cameron Highlands
The Star
Monday, March 24, 2003
Mossy wonderland defiled
By S. S. YOGA
Pictures by LOW BOON TAT
YES, they did. No, we didn't. No, it was someone else. Yes, it was me but because they said okay first. No, both of them did. Er, maybe they didn't at all.
That just about sums up the Gunung Brinchang issue. Confused?
The misty, moss-covered fairyland which is Gunung Brinchang in Cameron Highlands before the filming of Puteri Gunung Ledang began which left behind a trail of mess and destruction.
Can't blame you if you are. So are the non-government organisations (NGOs) and the media. All this confusion could be easily cleared up if the parties concerned were to just divulge the documented information, which they claim they have.
We are talking about the merry-go-round of a controversy surrounding the filming of Puteri Gunung Ledang in the misty and wondrous Gunung Brinchang in Cameron High-lands. This fresh debacle in the highlands erupted just weeks after a land-stripping fiasco by a farmer in Blue Valley that raised the ire of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad and drew nationwide attention.
This new farce had everyone playing a guessing game over two questions that kept popping up throughout the whole sorry episode: Was there a permit issued? If yes, why was it issued?
The permit in question was for permission to film scenes for the movie in the forest reserves in Gunung Brinchang.
First, the details.
The site and backdrop for this movie is a simply amazing creation of nature, the mossy forest. Growing only at elevations above 1,500m, this temperate fairyland is high in the sky, away from the steamy tropical jungles. It is but four hours’ drive from bustling, traffic-choked and smoggy Kuala Lumpur!
The myriads of trails in untouched forest reserves in Cameron Highlands are open for trekking. The first thing that greets trekkers at the start of the trails is the lovely sight of a mossy carpet on the ground, on the trees and all around.
In between strangely gnarled and stunted trees, beautiful orchids, pitcher plants and ferns hug the landscape as if to seek warmth in this cool, damp place. There are also beautiful rhododendron trees amid the numerous flowering and non-flowering vegetation, while the mist curls in between the trees.
As you turn corners here along the trail, more entrancing sights emerge. An assorted group comprising folk from NGOs and the media were on a trail through this wonderland, many of them first-time visitors to this forest. Many were gasping and shaking their heads in wonderment.
“I never knew such a place could exist. Now I understand why people are upset with the destruction,” said a colleague as he breathed in the fresh crisp air.
One can find natural arches made of branches covered in moss and a mossy forest floor glistening as the sunlight reflects off the moisture delicately trapped in it. It could very well be the abode of a fairy princess. At the end of this arched structure is the sky peeping through and a vista of more mountains beyond.
“It's a beautiful forest, like something out of a Lord of the Rings movie,” said Worldwide Fund for Nature Malaysia (WWF) executive director Datuk Dr Mikaail Kavanagh Abdullah.
Reality bites
That description, though, refers to an untouched mossy forest. Alas, for the Puteri Gunung Ledang movie, the backdrop was altered, and not digitally either. Trees, some of them rhododendrons, were cut down; at first three, and now at least 15 at the last count. The slippery fur-like moss was stripped off tree trunks and the trail. Orchids, pitcher plants and the famous kacip fatima were removed or damaged.
The filmmakers added a platform measuring 15m by 4m made of bamboo, a roof of rhododendron branches, and wall hangings of introduced morning glory vines. The trail too was widened and wooden beams added to facilitate movement of the crew and heavy equipment. Due to the absence of moss, the wet weather and the frequent movement of the film crew, the peaty ground turned into a muddy mess that mucked up our shoes and attire.
The film crew and cast made their base camp by the side of the road leading up to the peak (this is the highest mountain in Malaysia that has a road leading all the way to the summit). It housed trailers, vehicles, tents and equipment. The crew apparently consisted of 80 permanent staff, with many more locals hired as extras or to help on the site.
A long ramp to facilitate entry to the trail for the heavy equipment was installed too.
Fortunately these orchids and pitcher plants were spared from damage during the filming.
Representing the producers of the said RM3.5mil (though it has also been reported that it costs RM6mil) movie by EnfiniTi Productions was its production and location manager Razaq Sahibjahn.
When met on March 10, Razaq expressed shock that EnfiniTi was accused of the environmental destruction. He claimed that the permit given by the Forestry Department contained guidelines that included no felling of trees, and the need to return the area to its pristine state once filming was done. Razaq said they observed it to the letter but acknowledged plants might have been damaged, and any more than that “was sabotage”.
In addition to his denial, Razaq claimed an alibi of sorts by saying that the crew was absent for four days from the site to film in nearby Gunung Jasar. This did not explain why two days after an inspection by a local NGO, the Society of Regional Environmental Awareness of Cameron Highlands (Reach) accompanied by the media, the number of trees felled had increased from nine to more than 15 and more vegetation damaged. This time the film crew was present in during the two days.
Razaq said he did not want to make a police report on his allegations, as he did not want to “prolong the matter”.
The comment from Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob that the issue was blown out of proportion drew the ire of Reach which consists of local residents who value and want to protect their natural heritage and who blew the whistle on this in the first place.
“It is still against the law and you have to observe the law. If we allow this, then another person will come along and say you can't stop me as you have allowed someone else to do it,” said Reach president Ramakrishnan Ramasamy.
Under various sections of the National Forestry Act 1984 (Amendments 1993) any persons found in violation of trespassing without a permit may be fined up to RM50,000 and jailed up to five years. Those found guilty of felling trees also face the same penalty.
Ramakrishnan said that besides the trees, vegetation comprising at least six orchid species (including one endemic to Malaysia, Epigeneium longipes), five moss species, one pitcher plant species and one species of kacip fatima were damaged. Razaq seemed unfazed by it all and said they would eventually all grow back.
Ramakrishnan took exception to this as he explained that the moss especially was the result of thousands of years of growth. Additionally the moss acts like a nursery for many other types of vegetation including many beautiful and sought-after orchids.
Dr Kavanagh said that the mossy forest is like a bonsai forest and, just like the commercial bonsai trees, this forest is very precious to nature for many reasons.
“Part of the reason why the trees are stunted is that it grows on rocky outcrops that have little water. It pulls the moisture out of the air much like a condenser. It is a fragile forest and any disturbance will affect the climate here and eventually the whole make-up of the forest will change,” explained Dr Kavanagh.
On March 16, it was announced that a Reach project had recorded a big increase in the number of orchid species in Cameron Highlands. It speculates that increases in temperature might have encouraged the growth of lowland species here and that might be what you see in Gunung Brinchang too if the temperature goes up due to disturbance.
Fables and foibles
Razaq said that EnfiniTi, which is producing this film of a famous Malaysian legend or fable, is a subsidiary of Ten on Ten Productions that he says is in turn a subsidiary of NTV7. The film boasts stars such as Tiara Jacquelina (who is linked to Ten on Ten and is the wife of Agriculture Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Effendi Norwawi), M. Nasir and Indonesian actress Christine Hakim.
The legend of Puteri Gunung Ledang is steeped in mystery. Equally mysterious is the issuance of a permit by the State Forestry that Razaq claimed he obtained but could never produce a copy of.
Easy enough, the Forestry Department should have been able to set that record straight. Not quite, for when State director Datuk Mokhtar Mat Isa was contacted by The Star, all he could say (twice) was that the matter should be closed as it had dragged on for too long. He added that since the Pahang Menteri Besar had already made a statement, there was no necessity for another.
It was pointed out to him that no one had yet corroborated Razaq's claim to have a permit. Mokhtar then repeated his first statement.
Cameron Highlands district officer Haron Abdul Kader said he had a copy of the permit (which included both Gunung Brinchang and Gunung Jasar) but when asked by the press for a copy, he said: “I cannot because as you know, it is an official government document and it falls under the Official Secrets Act.”
If a permit that is given to a member of the public is considered an OSA document, what does that make our road-tax discs, for instance? Haron by the way had purportedly given permission for the movie to be filmed there even though the area is under the jurisdiction of the Forestry Department, permission he claimed was based on the “verbal approval” of local Forestry officials.
What a tangled web we weave.
Ramakrishnan said he was puzzled as to why such a simple matter as producing a copy of the permit could not be done. He felt that ample time had already been given to all concerned to do so.
To add fuel to fire, there is evidence to show that the felling and removal of trees and vegetation was not only on the Pahang side of the forest reserve but also on the Perak side, according to Reach sources and media observation. The permit, if it exists, would not cover the Perak side.
Mokhtar said he would not comment until he saw the report and Perak Forestry claimed it had never given permission. Perak Forestry officers were later asked to investigate these new findings.
Dr Kavanagh wondered why the Pahang forestry department had not alerted their counterparts in Perak on the possible encroachment. He said that there were major implications that resulted from this.
“We have to investigate this loophole in the system. For example, if someone is caught on the Pahang side bringing out wild orchids from the Perak side, would the prosecution by Pahang authorities fail because of this technicality?” posed Dr Kavanagh, adding that this could result in the culprit going scot-free unless the Perak side took up the case.
Are we any nearer to solving this mystery?
As it is, if this issue were to be made into a movie, it would leave viewers baffled and dissatisfied, especially with the unresolved ending. Perhaps there would be a sequel due, one which nature lovers hope will have a satisfactory resolution – Mystery Of Gunung Brinchang: Solved.
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http://www.reach.org.my/indanews2.htm
22 February 2003 - A tour guide spotted a group of people entering and clearing a trail that leads up to Gunung Irau. He reported the matter to one of the REACH committee members who then alerted the local forestry officials. Around noon, REACH members, Forestry officials and WWF-MALAYSIA official went to the site to evaluate the situation. It was found that the production crew for a local movie, Puteri Gunung Ledang was setting up a production set at the mossy forest. An area had been cleared to set-up platforms made from wooden planks as part of the set along with various plants that were also set up as props. The Forestry officials requested for a permit but they were unable to show any, thus a verbal stop-work order was issued to them.
27 February 2003 - WWF-MALAYSIA officials visited the site and found that filming was underway and the parking lot at the campsite of the track to Gunung Irau had 3 tents, 15 lorries and 3 mobile toilets. The WWF-Malaysia headquarters was notified of this matter.
1 March 2003- The Star featured a report with the title 'Film crew clears land for shoot'. The report stated a local production company filming the movie Puteri Gunung Ledang has cleared an area near Gunung Brinchang of plants and vines.
2 March 2003 - WWF-MALAYSIA official along with a REACH committee member visited the site to evaluate the damage done to the mossy forest and to capture it on film.
A committee member of REACH made an official police report on the encroachment of the Forest Reserve at the Brinchang police station.
6 March 2003 - The Star carried an article: 'Report lodged against company'. The news article stated that REACH has lodged a police report against a film company over a recent clearing in Cameron Highlands.
10 March 2003 - REACH members and WWF-MALAYSIA officials took a group of officers from the enforcement section of the Pahang State Forestry Department to the site. The Forestry Department officers made an evaluation of the damage by tagging and measuring the trees that were felled by the production crew. The officers were also briefed about the introduction of foreign species like the bamboo and morning glory vines into the fragile mossy forest eco-system.
A reporter and photographer from The Star were also at the site and interviewed the officers on the state of matters and the location manager of Enfiniti Production to hear his version of the story.
11 March 2003 - Members of the press comprising of reporters from The Star, NST, Berita Harian and RTM were taken to the site for their own inspection and evaluation.
13 March 2003 - NST reported a new turn to the controversy by stating that: 'Effects of filming spill over into Perak'. It stated that the filming has spilled over into the state of Perak, affecting the Bukit Kinta Permanent Forest Reserve.
A segment aired on RTM1 titled “30 minit” featured Gunung Brinchang and the damage that had been done to the mossy forest.
14 March 2003 - A report entitled: 'Forestry officials to investigate encroachment' stated that the forestry officials in Tapah would investigate the alleged encroachment on the Bukit Kinta Permanent Forest Reserve.
An article under the segment Comment of NST had an array of questions raised regarding the Gunung Brinchang issue.
16 March 2003 - 'New orchid find in the highlands' was the title of the article on The Star that highlighted the orchid species that have been recorded by the REACH bio-diversity team. REACH also thanked WWF-MALAYSIA and the local forestry office for its partnership in this effort.
18 March 2003 - NST carried a feature article on Gunung Brinchang with the title: 'Poor, poor Gunung Brinchang'. The article questioned the rationale behind the behaviour of the authorities that dismissed the damage done to Gunung Brinchang as trivial and asked whether sufficient effort has been put into educating our authorities about the environment.
NST also carried out a report entitled: 'MB's warning over Camerons', which quoted the Menteri Besar as saying that he will not hesitate to seek authorisation from the Federal Government to stop permanently all forms of development in Cameron Highlands, if the State Government continued to be unfairly criticised over environmental issues on the hill resort.
24 March 2003 - An article on Gunung Brinchang was featured prominently on section two of The Star. The article along with pictures of the mossy forest recapped the string of events that had transpired over the month. The two-page article also highlighted all the misleading information that has been exchanged with the authorities.
Acronyms:
REACH - Regional Environmental Awareness Cameron Highlands
NST - New Straits Times
MOSTE - Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment
NGO - Non-Governmental Organisation
MNS - Malaysian Nature Society
DOE - Department of Environment
RTM - Radio Television Malaysia