The forests within Peninsular Malaysia have many names. Officially, it is called the Central Forest Spine. Other times, it is the oldest forest on earth while some people call it Peninsular Malaysia’s Green Lung – due to its ability in storing carbon from being released into our atmosphere. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. The Central Forest Spine provides sanctuary for endangered species such as the Malayan Tiger, Malayan Sun bear, Malayan Tapir, Asian Elephants and many more. As a part of the Sundaland biodiversity hotspot, it harbours a myriad of identified wildlife, plant and microorganism species contributing to our country’s megadiverse status.
It also serves irreplaceable ecosystem services such as water supply, climate regulation, soil protection and eliviates flood risks among many others. It also allows us to harvest its produce. Timber and non-timber forest products contribute to the economy while supporting communities that live there. But oftentimes, its kindness is taken for granted. Decades of uncontrolled development, deforestation and harvesting have led to irreversible damages.
Acknowledging this, the Malaysian Government conceptualised the Central Forest Spine and its importance in the 1st National Plan, marking it as our national asset. It is divided into four main forest complexes and covers a total area of 5.3 million hectares, encompassing over eight states; Pahang, Johor, Perak, Terengganu, Selangor, Kelantan, Kedah, and Negeri Sembilan.