Malaysia: More gaharu trees being felled in Penang forest

Josephine Jalleh The Star 23 Feb 12;

GEORGE TOWN: The illegal felling of gaharu (agarwood) trees appears to be continuing unabated despite extensive media coverage and the state government’s declaration of a crackdown against the thieves.

The latest incident involves several gaharu trees in Gambier Hill near Island Park here.

Gurdial Singh, 52, a veteran runner with the Penang Hash House Harriers, came across around 20 felled trees, several of which were gaharu trees, on Tuesday while setting the trail for a run for his group.

“The trees were all from one area, not scattered in the jungle.

“I think they were felled about a week ago, looking at the condition and colour of the wood,” he said yesterday, adding that he believed the trees were felled with a chainsaw.

Gurdial said he also found gunny sacks, lunch packs, plastic bags and water bottles in the vicinity.

He said the area had been green and shady when he passed it last December.

“This place is about a 90-minute walk from the entrance along Jalan Tembaga off Jalan Mesjid Negri,” he said.

Sunday Star had reported on Feb 12 that local syndicates with foreign connections were allegedly felling the highly-valued gaharu trees in the rainforest near the Penang Botanic Gardens and in several other places.

The oil extracted from the agarwood is used for medicine and perfume, and fetches a handsome price in the Middle East.

Gurdial highlighted the matter to the newspaper after he encountered chopped gaharu trees while running in the jungle.

Penang Health, Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Commi­ttee chairman Phee Boon Poh said yesterday that there would be joint operations with the police to tackle the situation, as it was a serious matter.

“The Chief Minister (Lim Guan Eng) has a special task force comprising the relevant agencies to probe further into the illegal activities in the forest,” he said, adding that he would soon issue a press statement about the joint operations.

State Forestry Department assistant director Azahar Ahmad said he would also get his team of officials to investigate.

He added that the public could also contact the department’s 24-hour hotline at 04-826 2716 if they had any information on illegal activities in the forest.

The public can also call 04-650 5250, 017-590 9909 or 016-931 8059 to report illegal felling.

Agarwood $cent hard to resist
Josephine Jalleh The Star 23 Feb 12;

GEORGE TOWN: The illegal felling of gaharu (agarwood) trees appears to be continuing unabated despite extensive media coverage and the state government’s declaration of a crackdown against the thieves.

The latest incident involves se-veral gaharu trees in Gambier Hill near Island Park here.

Gurdial Singh, 52, a veteran runner with the Penang Hash House Harriers, came across around 20 felled trees, several of which were gaharu trees, on Tuesday while setting the trail for a run for his group.

“The trees were all from one area, not scattered in the jungle.

“I think they were felled about a week ago, looking at the condition and colour of the wood,” he said yesterday, adding that he believed the trees were felled with a chainsaw.

Gurdial said he also found gunny sacks, lunch packs, plastic bags and water bottles in the vicinity.

He said the area had been green and shady when he passed it last December.

“This place is about a 90-minute walk from the entrance along Jalan Tembaga off Jalan Mesjid Negri,” he said.

Sunday Star had reported on Feb 12 that local syndicates with foreign connections were allegedly felling the highly-valued gaharu trees in the rainforest near the Penang Botanic Gardens and in several other places.

The oil extracted from the agarwood is used for medicine and perfume, and fetches a handsome price in the Middle East.

Gurdial highlighted the matter to the newspaper after he encountered chopped gaharu trees while running in the jungle.

Penang Health, Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Commi­ttee chairman Phee Boon Poh said yesterday that there would be joint operations with the police to tackle the situation, as it was a serious matter.

“The Chief Minister (Lim Guan Eng) has a special task force comprising the relevant agencies to probe further into the illegal activities in the forest,” he said, adding that he would soon issue a press statement about the joint operations.

State Forestry Department assistant director Azahar Ahmad said he would also get his team of officials to investigate.

He added that the public could also contact the department’s 24-hour hotline at 04-826 2716 if they had any information on illegal acti-vities in the forest.

The public can also call 04-650 5250, 017-590 9909 or 016-931 8059 to report illegal felling.


Crooks smell money in gaharu
Josephine Jalleh The Star 24 Feb 12;

GEORGE TOWN: The gaharu (agarwood) resin, whose oil extract is much sought after in the Middle East, can fetch lucrative prices of up to RM20,000 per kg, according to a university academician.

The oil extract taken from the resin produced from the aquilaria malaccensis tree, would cost several thousands of ringgit, depending on its grade and quality, said Universiti Sains Malaysia’s School of Biological Sciences lecturer Prof Baharuddin Salleh.

“Why is it expensive? I’m not able to answer that.

“It is the same when people ask why gold is expensive,” he said yesterday.

He added that the oil extract was usually used in perfumes, medicines and sometimes by wealthy Arabs to wash their clothes and linen.

“Other parts of the tree have its uses as well – the leaves are used in drinking tea and the remnants of the wood are used to make joss sticks,” he said, adding that the Middle Eastern countries imported gaharu oil and the wood mainly from Vietnam, Thailand, Myan­mar, Indonesia as well as some from Malaysia.

Baharuddin was responding to a series of reports in The Star regarding the illegal felling of gaharu trees in Penang, the latest incident being at Gambier Hill.

This was despite the state government’s declaration of a crackdown against the thieves.

Local syndicates with foreign connections were allegedly felling the highly-valued gaharu trees in the rainforest near the Botanic Gardens as well as several other areas.

Penang Health, Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Commi­ttee chairman Phee Boon Poh had said that there would be joint operations with the police to tackle the situation, as it was a serious matter.

Baharuddin said the aquilaria malaccensis tree was widely available in Malaysia, but there was a lack of awareness about its potential.

“Malaysia is actually behind other neighbouring countries which are more advanced in the gaharu industry.

“There are not many gaharu plantations in Malaysia as it is still in the early stages, but the future of gaharu is bright,” he said.

Penang MACC director Datuk M. Samarajoo said they would initiate investigations if there was information or report on corruption (related to the illegal felling).

The public can call the state Forestry Department at 04-826 2716, 04-650 5250, 017-590 9909 or 016-931 8059 to report illegal felling.

More gaharu trees found felled
The Star 5 Mar 12;

GEORGE TOWN: Five more trees, believed to be gaharu (agarwood), have been found felled in the jungle behind the Mar Vista Resort and near Chee Seng Garden in Tanjung Bungah.

Gurdial Singh, 52, a veteran runner with the Penang Hash House Harriers, said he came across the felled trees in jungle area behind the buildings when running with other Hashers at around 5pm on Saturday.

“Some of the trees are 1m in diameter. They were also chopped into pieces.

“I think they were felled about a week ago,” he said yesterday.

Since November, Gurdial has seen felled trees, mostly of the gaharu species, while running in the jungle with other Hashers at various locations on Penang island.

Penang Health, Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh, when asked whether the affected area was state-owned or private land, asked Gurdial to check with the state Forestry Deprtment.

Sunday Star had reported on Feb 12 that local syndicates with foreign connections were allegedly felling the highly-valued gaharu trees in the rainforest near the Penang Botanic Gardens and in several other places.

The oil extracted from the agarwood is used for medicine and perfume, and fetches a handsome price in the Middle East.

Gurdial highlighted the matter to the newspaer after he encountered chopped gaharu trees while running in the jungle near the Gardens.

The Penang Forestry Department then formed two teams to track down those responsible for poaching gaharu trees in state forest reserves.