Most of the Kenyir catchment area is unaffected despite the licensed logging and land clearing taking place at its western border with Kelantan. Malaysia's Science, Technology and Environment Minister Datuk Law Hieng Ding said that, according to satellite images taken by the Malaysian Centre for Remote Sensing (Macres) dated 1996 and 1998, most of the area was "relatively unaffected by human activities". Speaking to reporters yesterday after the weekly Cabinet meeting, he said that logging tracks were clearly visible on the satellite image. "Data from the Forestry Department indicates that these activities are licensed, and the licences were issued between 1996 and 1998," he added.