MALAYSIA has been whittling down the hectarage of land that can be logged every five years, thus allowing forests and jungles breathing room.
Malaysian Timber Industry Board deputy director-general Datuk Dr Puat Dahalan said the government’s move to save trees could be traced back to 1996, when the 7th Malaysia Plan (7MP) kicked off.
He said from the onset of the 7MP in 1996 to the current 11th Malaysia Plan, which wraps up next year, the annual allowable cut had been reduced consistently between one and five per cent.
Puat said the reduction peaked under the 9th Malaysia Plan when it was slashed by 12,107ha, providing a total of 266,940ha to be cut.
Currently, the annual allowable cut is 246,888ha, 7,946ha lesser than the total provided under the previous Malaysia Plan.
He said Malaysia had shifted its focus from being heavy on exports of timber and wood-based products to importing such materials to be processed in the country.
‘Peninsular Malaysia started banning the export of logs in stages since 1985.’
‘Sabah is mulling a permanent ban to boost future downstream activities.’
Puat said the export of timber and wood-based products had realigned to that of finished and processed materials and products to ensure that the nation could benefit from this trade.
‘By having these resources in the country, the idea is that we can focus on manufacturing value-added goods besides generating more income and jobs,’ he said in response to claims that Malaysia was one of the developing nations actively involved in deforestation.
Puat said the export and import of timber and its products last year were worth RM22.3 billion and RM5.25 billion, respectively.
He said the industry contributed 1.3 per cent to the gross domestic product last year, with a value of RM18.9 billion at constant price.
The board’s studies in 2013 found that the industry provided 200,000 jobs.
Puat, however, said the rollback on exports and the cost of cultivating trees in permitted logging space or plantations, which ranged between RM6,000 per ha and RM14,000 per ha, triggered industry players to call for the increase of imports.
‘Everytime they do the revision (under the Malaysia Plan), the annual allowable will be reduced.
‘To keep our industry progressive and sustainable, we need to have more resources.That’s why we have encouraged imports from overseas, especially by way of logs.’
He said Malaysia imported beach, oak and other species of logs from Europe, while tropical ones were taken from African countries like Congo and Ghana.
He said the policy would continue with a target of RM22 billion and RM25 billion of timber and export products for this year and next year, respectively.
Puat said the nation’s shift to imports was to counter environmental groups’ allegations that countries are party to active deforestation practices done in the guise of sustainable logging and cultivation of oil palm trees.
He said the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme, issued by the Malaysian Timber Certification Council, ensured that trees were sustainably logged by companies that volunteered to be evaluated.
He said Malaysia did not lump tree cover, which included rubber and oil palm trees, as forest cover.
‘Forest cover refers to areas gazetted as permenant forest reserves, state land forests and alienated lands.’
Puat, who has been with the Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Department since 1983, was appointed as Selangor director of forestry before he was seconded to the board recently.
‘I feel I have the right background for the job. I will continue to look after the interest of trees by standing up against commercial operators,’ said the Kolej Sultan Abdul Hamid old boy.
He said he would make sure the industry moved ahead.
‘I know a lot about trees, so I will try to bridge the demand of the upstream resource, which is part and parcel of the interest of trees and the natural world, as well as the demand of the industry.
‘I have to find ways to make this work.’
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to maintain at least 50 per cent of its land area under forest cover to keep its pledge made during the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in Brazil in 1992.
He said Malaysia’s forest cover was at 55.3 per cent, or 18.28 million hectares of its total land area, exceeding the government’s initial commitment made during the summit.
He said the nation’s forest cover today was far higher than that of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.
He said the Land Conservation Act (1960), the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) and the National Forestry Act (1984) provided the legal framework covering land use, wildlife protection, administration and conservation of forests.