Pekan, Pahang (29 April 2026): YP Plantation Holdings Sdn Bhd (YPPH) and Global Environment Centre (GEC) together recently marked the closure of the first phase of their joint Fire Prevention and Conservation of the Southeast Portion of Pekan Forest Reserve Project (2021-2025).
GEC and YPPH collaborated with local communities, government agencies, as well as local authorities, on conservation and fire prevention in 4,800 hectares of forested and degraded peatland around the YPPH plantations near the boundary of Pekan Forest Reserve.
The project was initiated following frequent forest fires in the area, which have affected thousands of hectares of peatlands in the last 15 years.
The project was also part of the initiative by YPPH starting in 2020 to balance the development of its new Pekan Timur and Barat Oil Palm Plantations with a peatland conservation initiative. At the same time, YPPH adopted a new Sustainable Palm Oil Policy to ensure long term sustainable management for all its plantations throughout Pahang.
“When GEC surveyed the site with YPPH in September 2020, we noted highly degraded peatlands in the buffer zone between the YPPH plantations and the forest reserve boundary 500m to 1km away. This area had been subject to frequent fires which had destroyed the natural vegetation. We recognised that the root cause of the degradation was the extensive network of drainage canals that had been dug as part of previous logging operations. These canals lowered the water table in the peatlands making them more susceptible to fire. said GEC Director, Mr. Faizal Parish.
”The immediate initiative taken by YPPH was to block the drainage canals along its boundary to start to raise the water levels in the buffer zone to prevent fires and create the right conditions for forest regeneration. GEC then worked with local communities to help them understand the dangers of frequent fires and initiate community-based fire prevention measures including daily patrols of fire prone areas. Further canal blocks were installed in conjunction with the State Forestry Department and Enggang (Pekan) Sdn Bhd. In the last five years, the project has successfully eliminated almost all fires in the buffer zone between the plantation and the forest, enabling recovery of the natural ecosystem in the area,” he added.
Among the key achievements of the project include:
- Rewetting and enhanced natural regeneration on more than 1,000ha of degraded peatland
- Active fire prevention through rewetting and regular community patrolling
- Strengthened local preparedness and early response to control peat fires
- Broad community and stakeholder engagement and outreach
- Improved wildlife habitat and species conservation
- Enhanced monitoring of fire risk and wildlife presence
- Strengthened stakeholder collaboration for integrated management
“These achievements reflect the importance of long-term collaboration in protecting and restoring peatland ecosystems. We are now jointly exploring options for a second phase including to expand the project to nearby areas along the eastern boundary of the SE Pahang Peat Swamp Forest”, said YPPH Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Muhamad Fairuz Kamal Mat Noh.
YPPH reiterated their commitment to support the long-term conservation of the Southeast Pahang Peat Swamp Forest and its buffer zone. ”We hope that our action will be an inspiration to other companies” – added Dato Muhamad Fairuz.
The event showcased knowledge sharing on project activities and achievements, Best Management Practices (BMP), traditional Sewang dance from Jakun Orang Asli tribe, as well as an exhibition on some of the key impacts of the project. To acknowledge their role, 16 different stakeholders from state and local government as well as local communities were presented with appreciation plaques during the event.
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