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KUALA LUMPUR: The cabinet, in its meeting yesterday, agreed to the nomination of Endau Rompin Johor National Park to be recognized as an ASEAN Heritage Park (AHP), said Minister of Energy and Natural Resources (KeTSA) Datuk Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah (pix).
He said it would be the fourth AHP for Malaysia after National Park in Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu, Kinabalu National Park (Sabah) and Mount Mulu National Park (Sarawak).
“The nomination of the Endau Rompin Johor National Park, among others, will enhance its image as a major conservation area in Johor and the second National Park in Peninsular Malaysia, strengthening park management based on ‘best management practices’ alongside the management of protected areas in the region and internationally.
“Apart from that, it also improves the creation of networks and the cooperation of protected areas between the country and other countries,” he said today in a statement.
AHP is a regional cooperation initiative to manage the networking of protected areas in the ASEAN region, which is unique, with biological diversity and important ecological values.
The matter was agreed upon by ASEAN member countries through the 1984 ASEAN Declaration on Heritage Parks and Reserves, signed by Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand on November 29, 1984.
Endau Rompin Johor National Park is covered by more than 90 percent of rainforests and ecosystems, with 80 globally endangered plant species listed on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species, which comprises En Critically Endangered (3 species), Endangered (16) and Vulnerable (26).
The park is also an important habitat for the conservation of endangered mammals, especially the Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris), the Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus), the sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).
According to the statement, KeTSA will submit the nomination of the park’s nomination documents to the AHP Secretariat in the Philippines for consideration and approval by ASEAN working groups at the ASEAN Ministers level in 2021.
Shamsul Anuar said the nomination reflects Malaysia’s seriousness in preserving and recognizing protected areas as an invaluable national treasure.
He called on all state governments to also take the initiative to submit nominations for international recognition as AHP, as it can help in promoting the tourism sector, not only in Malaysia and the ASEAN region, but also internationally.
“However, before the potential of ecotourism is aggressively explored, the development and management of ecotourism areas must be implemented in a sustainable manner to ensure that the existing flora, fauna and ecosystem are always preserved,” he added.
To do this, he said, a load capacity study must be implemented and the need for ecotourism operators to ensure compliance with the capacity limit.
He said the effort was also in line with ASEAN’s intention to implement conservation measures to maintain ecological processes and genetic diversity, ensure the preservation of biodiversity and ecosystems, as well as conserve high-value forest areas in terms of culture, education, research, recreation and ecotourism. – Called
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