Nik Nazmi: Kelantan may lose conservation funds

PUTRAJAYA: The Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry intends to cease the payment of Ecological Fiscal Transfer for Biodiversity Conservation (EFT) to Kelantan if the state continues with its plan to make changes to its development plan involving environmentally-sensitive areas (ESAs).

Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the plan was not in line with the principles underlying the implementation of EFT, which is an additional financial incentive from the Federal Government to state governments introduced in 2019 to protect and conserve protected areas, including ESAs, for biological diversity.

“So far, over RM29mil has been allocated to the Kelantan government from 2019 to 2023.

“Therefore, the Kelantan government should utilise the EFT allocation by implementing more initiatives to improve the preservation and conservation of biological diversity,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Nik Nazmi said the proposed changes to the development plan involving the ESAs in Kelantan would also have an impact on biodiversity conservation efforts and were not in line with the National Biodiversity Policy 2022-2030 (DKBK 2022-2030), which was just launched on Oct 24, BK reported.

DKBK 2022-2030 outlines the need to strengthen the preservation of significant areas of biological diversity as ESAs in development plans at the state and local government levels.

“I hope that the Kelantan government will reconsider the proposed changes to the development plan involving the ESAs and work with the Federal Government through the ministry to strengthen the management of the country’s biological diversity,” said Nik Nazmi.

On Friday, he said the Kelantan government’s move to make changes to its development plan involving ESAs would have implications on the Federal Government’s policy to achieve 50% forested areas in Peninsular Malaysia in line with the National Physical Plan.