Sean Augustin New Straits Times 1 Feb 11;
PUTRAJAYA: The Selangor Forestry Department is questioning what it calls the indiscriminate approval of permits to import mangroves, which is stifling conservation efforts in the state.
Its assistant director (operations and enforcement) Mohd Yussainy Md Yusop alleged that mangrove wood smugglers, a majority of whom are Indonesian, are getting "inside help" to obtain approved permits to bring in the timber to Malaysia.
The permits, he claimed, were given without proper investigation into the source of the harvested logs, a majority of which he suspects are felled illegally in Malaysia.
The claim comes following the arrest of four men on Friday who attempted to smuggle 2,000 mangrove logs worth RM20,000 into Port Klang at the barter trade jetty there.
The tekong of the vessel, Yussainy said, failed to produce evidence that the logs were harvested from Indonesia or Malaysia.
It was also learnt that the vessel used to ferry the logs had often encroached Malaysian waters.
The Customs Department, according to Yussainy, is responsible for issuing the permits, while the Malaysian Timber Industry Board issues the timber export licence.
He said there seemed to be "no end" to the joint operations by his department, Marine Police and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency with 'invisible hands' legalising the stealing of mangroves in both Malaysia and Indonesia via the issuing of APs.
"If other agencies are not serious in tackling the smuggling of mangrove logs, it will just negate our efforts.
"Unfortunately the National Forest Act 1984 does not stipulate that agencies who issue import permits to smugglers can be brought to court. Smugglers will use the AP as an excuse to bring in logs and this will worsen the situation," said Yussainy.
He added that the Selangor Forestry Department had stopped issuing licences allowing the harvesting of mangroves last year but such activities were still rampant in the state.
Between July last year and Jan 15, nine people have been prosecuted for smuggling, while the department has seized over 200,000 logs.
