KUALA LUMPUR: Environmental groups claim corruption within government agencies who have been entrusted with protecting our forests are the root cause behind the high number of illegal logging cases recorded every year.
Among the main agencies they red-flagged was the Forestry Department.
This comes after it was revealed in Parliament today that there were 90 cases of illegal logging nationwide last year.
Centre for Environment, Technology and Development Malaysia (Cetdem) chairman Gurmit Singh said the high number of illegal logging activities in Malaysia was nothing new, nor was it surprising.
In fact, he said, the numbers might be higher as not all cases are identified.
"The number of cases might be higher as not all are reported or identified. The main cause is corruption within the Forestry Department.
"As long as you allow that (corruption) to continue, enforcers themselves had their eyes turned away from these activities.
"You need to stop corruption. There's no shortcut to it," he said.
Gurmit also questioned the government's effort as the number of illegal logging cases did not decline throughout the years.
"What are they doing about it and why are they allowing it?"
Earlier, Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said of the 90 cases last year, 60 were recorded in Sarawak alone.
Perak recorded the second highest number of cases at 11 while Kelantan was close behind with 10.
In a written reply to a question in the Dewan Rakyat, he said the criminals involved have been charged under the National Forestry Act 1984 in Peninsular Malaysia and the Forest Ordinance 2015 in Sarawak and the Forest Enactment 1968.
Sahabat Alam Malaysia president Meenakshi Raman said the government should acknowledge and recognise the use of frontline communities such as the indigenous people to combat illegal logging.
She said the indigenous people were among those who were most affected by illegal logging and they had also complained because the loggers had encroached on their native customary rites.
"The indigenous are the most affected people because they live in the forests. The government has to acknowledge and work together with them to combat illegal logging," she said.
Meenakshi added that the current number of cases was shocking and appaling and suggested that perpetrators are finding it easy to commit such crimes.
"The fact that the number is high in Sarawak is quite appaling. This signals that the authorities are not doing their job effectively because if they are monitoring and enforcing then it would not go on.
"We should strictly monitor their activities and enforce our laws," she said.