KUALA LUMPUR: In Peninsular Malaysia, an enforcement officer is tasked with overseeing a vast forest area of 15,775 ha, which is about 1.5 times the size of Paris. In Sabah, officers monitor a forest area of 8,526ha, while in Sarawak, an officer is responsible for overseeing 13,698ha.
"Overall, the staffing levels in the forestry departments across these three regions range from 68 per cent to 78 per cent, with the staffing levels for monitoring and enforcement activities falling between 70 per cent and 79 per cent.
"Given these figures, there is a clear need for full staffing in the forestry departments to effectively carry out monitoring and enforcement activities," the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry said.
The statement came in response to a recommendation by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) regarding the ministry's forest management and environmental impact.
This was part of the PAC's Report on Follow-up Actions concerning the ministry's forest management practices, published today.
In its July 11 report, PAC had recommended that the Public Service Department (PSD) and state governments conduct a staffing needs study to ensure adequate human resources, both in terms of quantity and expertise, for effective and consistent monitoring and enforcement.
The ministry responded that it had engaged in a stakeholder session with the Staffing and Organisation Division of PSD in August to discuss the need for a staffing study.
"During the session, PSD clarified that any staffing needs study must adhere to the Treasury Circular PB3.1 on Public Expenditure Control Guidelines (updated in 2024), which stipulates that the creation of new positions is prohibited unless achieved through trade-off or redeployment, without additional financial implications," said the ministry.
PSD also said that staffing decisions must align with the organisation's objectives, changes in responsibilities, and the increasing complexity of tasks.
It stressed the importance of comparing positions with similar duties within the same ministry or across other ministries to ensure staffing priorities were optimal.
The Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM) is currently conducting a comprehensive review of its staffing needs, particularly to strengthen monitoring and enforcement capabilities at both its headquarters and state-level forestry departments.
"In 2023, the Forestry Departments of Pahang and Perak submitted requests for organisational restructuring, which are still under review," the ministry said.
The Sabah Forestry Department has completed its staffing study in 2024, and the process of filling positions is underway.
Similarly, the Forest Department Sarawak (FDS) finished its staffing study in 2023, and the recruitment process is also ongoing.
"PSD has approved the staffing of 143 positions under the Civil Security and Defence Scheme (KP) to enhance monitoring and enforcement in Sarawak," the ministry added.
Regarding the Environment Department (DoE), the ministry said that while staffing levels for 2024 exceeded 90 per cent, this remained insufficient.
As such, the DoE is re-evaluating its staffing requirements to strengthen enforcement functions under the Environmental Quality Act 1974, including the monitoring of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process before applications are submitted to PSD.