Facing extinction

IPOH: The "critically endangered" Dipterocarpus coriaceus tree species, known locally as keruing paya, is now believed to be extinct in the peninsula after more than 400ha of the Bikam permanent forest reserve near Bidor were degazetted to make way for an oil palm plantation. Meor Razak Meor Abd Rahmad, field officer for Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) said any decision to degazette the remaining 933.7ha of the Parit forest reserve would affect another "critically endangered" tree species, the Dipterocarpus semivestitus, locally known as keruing padi. This species is only found in Perak.