IPOH (Bernama): The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, says that development is not a licence to legalise the destruction of the environment.

Development without balanced planning and without the approved Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports, especially on hillslopes, will destroy the environment, he said.

“Uncontrolled and unapproved development in the Kinta Highlands (of Perak) bordering Cameron Highlands (Pahang) and Lojing (Kelantan) has reportedly resulted in serious erosion and silting.

“The Perak government will not compromise with illegal land settlers. Being soft and accommodating will give the wrong message and will only encourage more land encroachment,” he said.

He was delivering the royal address when opening the first meeting of the second session of the 14th Perak Legislative Assembly at Bangunan Perak Darul Ridzuan here Tuesday (April 16).

Also present was the Raja Permaisuri Perak, Tuanku Zara Salim.

Earlier, outside the assembly, Sultan Nazrin inspected a guard-of-honour mounted by three officers and 102 men of the First Battalion General Operations Force in Ulu Kinta, led by DSP Muhammad Ulul Azmi Muhamed. – Bernama