Malaysia: Government seeks to eliminate illegal forest activities

New Straits Times 12 Aug 14;

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has stepped up efforts to integrate all enforcement agencies to achieve zero forest encroachment.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G.
Palanivel said it had designed strategies and action plans to improve a standardised integrated enforcement action.

He said the ministry would first ensure that the outer boundaries of reserve forests were clear and identifiable.

“This could help enforcement agencies to detect and prevent illegal activities at an early stage,” he said yesterday.

He said the ministry’s research institute was working towards shifting the practice of manual forest enforcement to high-tech visual enforcement.

The ministry, he said, was involving agencies. such as Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, police, Rela, Immigration Department and the armed forces, to combat illegal activities in forests, especially those involving illegal immigrants.

He said the integrated operation at the federal and state levels would be intensified through the 1NRE enforcement team and centralised enforcement team.

Palanivel said the ministry was actively involved in programmes to expand green areas and work towards achieving the government’s commitment at an international level to maintain wooded areas at 50 per cent of the country’s land area at least.

“Efforts are being made to educate society, especially the younger generation, to get involved in activities that combat illegal logging and forest encroachment.

“The government is confident that these illegal activities could be prevented with the cooperation of Malaysians, who could be the eyes and ears of enforcement agencies.”