Villagers lodge report with MACC over timber licence issued to logging company

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KUCHING: A report was lodged with Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) here by an action committee specially set up to protest against a logging company pertaining to the approval of its timber licence in an area believed to be a water catchment area.

The forest where the company is allegedly extracting timber is between Sg Tu and Sg Sanga in Semadang and Skio at the western part of Sungai Sarawak Kiri, involving 2,112 hectares.

The team was headed by committee chairman Joseph Rengges and a committee member Alim.

Joining them were Penghulu Penrissen Rimong Sutur and Penghulu Serembu Bau Frederick Kenek and the village chiefs of all the affected villages — Samson Manggang (Kampung Semadang) Michael Dang (Kampung Skio), Harrison Sango Domba (Kampung Giam) and Ahip Naiir (Kampung Danu).

Rengges said the committee had suspected some elements of corruption and had thus decided to lodge a report with MACC.

“MACC has assured us that investigation will be completed within three weeks and they will carry out a thorough investigation immediately,” Rengges said after the report was lodged.

Meanwhile, Dang also questioned the approval of the timber licence.

According to him, Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra) had applied to open the said piece of land for oil palm plantation in 1993, but the application was rejected as the area is a water catchment area.

“But this year (2011), we saw that a private company has got the licence approved to extract timber from the area, and we are very doubtful about that (approval of licence),” he said.

After lodging the report at MACC, the group then proceeded to Forest Department, Land and Survey Department and police station, also to lodge reports.

The licence with serial number T/8497 dated April 14, 2011 with an expiry date of April 13, 2012 was approved by Forest Department under Section 49 and 51 of the Forest Ordinance.

Mambong MP Datuk James Dawos Mamit had before Gawai, when the group met him at his service centre at Kota Padawan, strongly encouraged them to lodge a report with MACC.

According to the Deputy Tourism Minister, there was a possibility that there were some elements of corruption since the forest had been gazetted as a water catchment area.

Meanwhile, last April 23, villagers of Kampung Giam Lama experienced a shocking revelation when they found out that their signatures had been falsified for the purpose of getting consent for a timber company to extract timber from a forest between the village and Skio.

At least 48 names are mentioned in the list, which also included those who have died.

The list of names was exposed when the villagers had a meeting to discuss kampung matters and activities, with those attending the meeting denying vehemently that they had been approached by the company, needless to say signing the letter.

“Where does this letter come from because I know nothing about it,” exclaimed village chief Sab Sambat when he was shown the letter during the meeting.

Sab, together with the secretary of the Village Security and Development Committee (JKKK) Andrew Ripen lodged a police report the following day.

The problem was also brought to the attention of Dawos, who said he was unaware of the problem, and urged the villagers to lodge a complaint with Forest Department to tell them that the letter was forged.