Page 19 - GS58346 Tasik Chini

2. OIL PALM PLANTATION

• There are a number of things behind the significant rate of

Malaysia’s deforestation and deforestation around the world,
explains the World Wildlife Fund. The first is commercial farming.

Malaysia is one of the largest producers and exporters of palm

oil, and oil palm plantation owners receive tax breaks, making

this a very lucrative operation. Valuable rainforest has been

cleared for these oil palm plantations, making this kind of large-

scale commercial farming one of the greatest threats to

Malaysian forests.

• Recently, Tasik Chini condition was worsened by the plantation
of the palm oil near the Tasik Chini, (Habibah, Hamzah, &

Mushfirah, 2010). Tasik Chini had covered by an aquatic weed

call 'cat tail' or Cabomba Furcata. In many years, the lake

surface is covered by the famous lotus flower which is Nelumba

Nucifera. The development of agricultural near Tasik Chini,

caused some pollution to the lake. Agriculture activities, release

nitrate and phosphate in the lake due to the used of fertilizers on
the palm oil plantation. The replacement of primary forest to oil

plantation and rubber plantation caused changes in hydrology,

also, phenomenon of eutrophication, sedimentation and pollution