VICTORIA BROWN The Star 20 Nov 14;
PETALING JAYA: Illegal logging is prevalent across Malaysia and has even penetrated protected areas like wildlife sanctuaries.
“Samunsam wildlife sanctuary was completely decimated by illegal loggers and this has been happening over the past ten years,” said chairman of Malaysia Nature Society Kuching Anthony Sebastian (pic).
“The entire sanctuary is gone, all that’s left is its borders. That should not be happening,” he told The Star in an exclusive interview.
Police personnel checking illegal logs seized during a raid on a sawmill in Bintawa, Kuching. File pic
Sebastian who is also the chairman of the international board of directors for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) said that if we do not act now, illegal logging could have dire consequences to our environment, wildlife, culture and economy.
However, even though some of our ‘most vital areas’ have been logged, our forests will eventually regenerate, although it will take 60 to 100 years to do so.
“But our forests will never be the same. We have already lost so many species and we will lose more,” said Sebastian.
The Government also has a vested interest in the curbing of illegal logging due to massive forestry asset loss.
“We have come to a point where if we do not protect our assets, we will have nothing for the future,” said Sebastian.
“The timber industry requires its assets, we call them Permanent Forest Estate (PFE), and this is what ensures that Malaysia will always be a timber producing country.
“What’s happening in Malaysia, and in Sarawak particularly, is that our PFE has been wiped out, and a lot of it has been logged illegally,” he said.
Sebastian said that Malaysia is losing her tropical forests at a tremendous rate with illegal loggers “practically throwing away” valuable hardwood and illegal sellers selling them off at a fraction of the price.
“We need to address the problem (of illegal logging) from multiple levels,” said Sebastian.
“We can’t just be sending out enforcement officers across Malaysia to catch illegal stockpiles and confiscating them, for example. The illegal loggers will just change their tactics, they won’t stop.
“We need a much more comprehensive solution, where find out who the buyers are, who the middlemen are, who supplies the machinery,” he said.
Sebastian said that the public can also help to report on suspicious logging activities on Transparency International Malaysia’s Forest Watch Project website.
“Citizens can play a part in stopping illegal logging by submitting reports that will go into a database which is linked to all the forest departments in Malaysia, which will then be reviewed,” he said.
Sebastian lauded Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s tough stand against corruption and illegal logging in the state.
“I think that it is high time that the state government made a strong stance on illegal logging. This is as strong as it gets, and I applaud it.
“The Chief Minister is essentially saying enough is enough. We have all the wonderful laws but if we don’t enforce them there’s no point in having these laws,” he said
If you would like to submit a report on any suspicious forestry activities such as illegal logging, visit http://www.timalaysia-forestwatch.org.my/.
NGO: Not easy to wipe out corruption in S’wak timber sector
STEPHEN THEN The Star 20 Nov 14;
MIRI: An NGO here described the state of illegal logging and corruption in Sarawak’s timber sector as a complex web that would be difficult to unravel.
“It is widespread and very complicated. It will not be easy to tackle the problems, let alone eradicate them totally,” Michael Jok, the secretary of the Society for Rights of Indigenous People of Sarawak (Scrips), said yesterday.
He welcomed Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s statement on Monday that warned that corruption in the timber sectors must be stopped because it was affecting the image of the state.
Jok said it was good that Adenan was brave enough to deal with these issues publicly, adding that it was “a refreshing development” in Sarawak.
But he called on the state’s enforcement authorities to re-open the old reports on illegal logging and corruption in Sarawak in the interest of justice.
He said that many official reports had been lodged since the days when the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) was still in authority in Sarawak.
Jok added that these cases saw native rights groups and longhouse folks claiming massive illegal logging and corrupt practices by logging giants that were operating on native land.
“When the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission was formed several years ago to replace the ACA, did it relook into the old cases lodged by Sarawak natives on illegal logging?
“These old cases must be reopened because many of them did not see any conclusive investigation by the ACA,” he said.
Adenan unveils tough action plan against illegal logging
SHARON LING The Star 20 Nov 14;
KUCHING: Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem (pic) has unveiled a string of measures that he termed “follow-up action” to his offensive against illegal logging.
During his winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly yesterday, he warned the culprits involved that they would be up against stronger enforcement with a beef-up in intelligence gathering, equipment and weapons capabilities, among others.
He said the state government had approved RM5.07mil to acquire 29 Land Cruisers, four caravans, 50 pieces of firearms, uniforms and helicopter rental for aerial surveillance to boost enforcement.
He also said the state Forestry Department had intensified its actions against illegal logging and timber smuggling activities, including gathering intelligence, conducting surprise checks at log ponds and timber mills and helicopter surveillance.
The department also held a workshop on combating illegal logging and smuggling last month, during which various enforcement agencies assessed the log verification system currently being used in the state.
“We will try all this first to see whether it will work. If it is not very effective, we will amend the Forest Ordinance to increase the penalties, including imprisonment.
“But the main thing is not so much the penalty but the certainty of being caught. That is where enforcement comes in,” he said.
Adenan reiterated that he was not talking idly but meant what he said about putting a stop to illegal logging.
“That’s why I said don’t mess with me (on Monday). There will be follow-up action,” he said.
Adenan also invited NGOs such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to talk with him on how to combat the problem.
“We are prepared to collaborate with sincere NGOs who are concerned about our forests,” he said.
Forestry Department director Sapuan Ahmad announced in a press conference after the speech that 22,306 illegal logs worth RM5.5mil had been seized in Bintulu and Miri in the last two weeks.
He said 17,064 logs were seized from eight locations in Bintulu and 5,242 logs from five locations in Miri for various offences, including felling without licence, felling outside licensed areas and non-payment of royalty.
Two excavators were also seized for encroaching into the Similajau National Park during the raids under the department’s Ops Bintulu Miri.
“No arrests were made as the loggers ran away when our men came,” he said, adding that the department would launch more operations against illegal logging.
Sapuan also said a first batch of 50 enforcement officers would be armed starting January.
“They are being screened first to make sure they are mentally fit. In December, they will be trained and by January they will be carrying guns,” he said, adding that the department had 400 enforcement officers.
