Don't cut trees at your whim, warns Najib 
MalaysiaKini.com
Jan 1, 2015   

Prime Minister Najib Razak yesterday reminded all quarters to be more responsible to the environment and not to cut trees for profits or at their whims and fancy. 
 
"Don't look at trees as mere profits, trees also have their functions. If we betray our mother nature, this is the disaster that awaits us," he said, commenting more must be done to avert future flood crises. 
 
Najib said more needed to be done to solve flood issues in the country, involving short-term and long-term plans, as losses due to floods were not only suffered by individuals, but also by the state and federal governments.   
 
"There is no way we can solve this in a short period of time, but maybe we can do it in stages," he said.    

In November 2013 a University of Maryland report said Malaysia is one of three countries in the world with the highest national rates of deforestation.
 
The findings of the mapping - which documents forest loss and gain between 2000 and 2012 based 650,000 satellite images - was published in a science journal, reported BBC.
 
Meanwhile, the prime minister also expressed hope that the Kelantan government would give full cooperation to the federal government in the efforts to help flood victims in the state.   
 
He said the cooperation would include providing suitable land for the construction of new houses for the victims whose house were totally destroyed or badly damaged by floods.        
 
"We are hoping for the state government's cooperation to provide suitable piece of land for us to build new houses for the victims," he told reporters after attending the New Year thanksgiving programme with flood evacuees at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pengkalan Kubor 2 in Tumpat last tonight.            
 
Earlier, the prime minister also joined the evacuees in performing Maghrib, Isyak, as well as hajat prayer, led by Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Yadim) president Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.            
 
Also present were International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed, who is also Kelantan disaster committee chairperson, and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom. 
 
Najib said before the houses could be built, the government would build temporary settlement for the victims.                              
 
- Bernama

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