Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan
KUCHING: A total of 19,127 cubic metres of illegal logs worth RM1.2 million (calculated based on royalty rate) were seized from January to July this year.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, who is Second Minister of Urban Development and Natural Resources, said compounds totalling RM283,931 were collected from various forest-related offences over the same period.
“169 investigation papers have been opened for the seizures recorded as a result of 805 enforcement operations conducted including land, river and air operations from January to July, 2019,” he said in a statement after chairing a meeting on the state task force on illegal logging yesterday.
Awang Tengah said 53 suspects had been convicted of various forest-related offences since 2015.
He said Sarawak government had put in place policies, laws, regulations and procedures for the enhancement of the forestry sector.
These included the Forests Ordinance, 2015, Forests Rules and Sarawak Timber Legality Verification System (STLVS), he added.
“STLVS covers the process of forest licensing, harvesting, transporting, manufacturing and trading of logs and timber products.
“Compliance with the STLVS is verified by a third party. Compliance certificate provides credibility to log and timber products from Sarawak and would ensure that all logs felled are accounted for, thus helping minimise and mitigate illegal logging activities in Sarawak,” he pointed out.
Awang Tengah said the Sarawak government ‘is also in the process of reviewing the Forests Rules to enhance the existing provisions’.
He stressed the importance of inter-agency cooperation to combat illegal logging to achieve greater impact on carrying out enforcement operations.
“Enforcement operation requires timely and accurate information. Therefore, the Forest Department of Sarawak and related agencies will further leverage on advanced technologies such as the use of hyperspectral system and aerial surveillance in combating illegal logging,” he said.
He added that the Sarawak government had also put in place various measures to prevent corruption among enforcement agencies.
“The state government is fully committed to ensuring that our forest treasures in Sarawak are well managed and protected for present and future generations,” assured Awang Tengah.