Samling Timber Sdn Bhd awarded Sirim certification for forest management in Bintulu

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MIRI: Samling Timber Sdn Bhd’s industrial tree plantation (ITP) in Segan, Bintulu, has been granted a forest management certification by Sirim QAS International, one of the two authorised certification bodies in Malaysia.

Khalidah presents the certificate to Ho, witnessed by other VIPs.

The 10,800ha plantation also has the distinction of being the first ITP in Malaysia certified under the scheme for sustainable harvesting of its planted trees.

In a statement, Samling said the certification is known as the Malaysian Criteria and Indicators for Forest Management (MC&I) (Forest Plantation).

The ceremony to present the certificate took place at the Parkcity Everly Hotel here yesterday, which was attended by Sirim QAS International Sdn Bhd managing director Khalidah Mustafa.

Khalidah presented the certificate to Samling Group of Companies chief operating officer James Ho.

Present to witness the presentation were Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) senior manager Harnarinder Singh, state Forest Department senior assistant director Wong Siong Kuan and Sarawak Forestry Corporation Miri regional manager Abang Arabi Abang Aimran.

In her speech, Khalidah congratulated Samling for being one of the first two companies in Malaysia to be awarded the MC&I certificate.

She also praised Samling’s initiative to obtain the forest management certification.

“This shows Samling has certainly heeded the state government’s call to get its licensed areas to obtain forest plantation certification,” she said, adding she hoped that more timbers would follow Samling’s example as the certification is recognised globally.

Meanwhile, Khalidah said so far Sirim QAS has given forest management

certification to two forest plantation areas in Sarawak.

“This makes Sarawak the first state in Malaysia to have two forest plantation areas certified for forest management,” she said.