KUCHING: The State Task Force on Illegal Logging will engage the hyperspectral system and aerial surveillance in efforts to combat illegal logging in Sarawak. Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, who chairs the task force, said the Forest Department Sarawak and related agencies will further leverage on the advanced technologies which have been proven effective. He reiterated that the state government will ensure its forest treasures are well-managed and protected for the present and future generations. “Therefore, the campaign to curb illegal logging which has shown significant success will be intensified,” he said in a press statement issued after chairing the task force meeting here yesterday.
Awang Tengah, who is also Urban Development and Resources Second Minister, said the objective of the task force is to ensure more coordinated and effective enforcement measures can be taken. “From January to July 2019, a total of 805 operations were conducted which covered land, river and air operations. “From those operations, 169 investigation papers were opened with a total of 19,127 cubic metre logs seized with a value of RM1.2 million based on royalty rate calculation, whereas a total compound of RM283,931 has been collected from various forest related offences,” he disclosed.
He said since 2015 to July this year, a total of 53 suspects had been convicted for various forest offences. Awang Tengah also said that the state government has put in place various policies, laws, regulations and procedures for the forestry sector such as the Forests Ordinance 2015, and the Forests Rules and Sarawak Timber Legality Verification System (STLVS). STLVS covers the process of forest licensing, harvesting, transporting, manufacturing and trading of logs and timber products.
He said the state government has also put in place various measures to prevent corruption among enforcement agencies by developing and implementing the Corruption Risk Management. On the compliance to the STLVS, Awang Tengah said it is verified by a third party.
“Compliance certificates provide credibility to log and timber products from Sarawak and will ensure that all logs felled are accounted for, thus helping to minimise and mitigate illegal logging activities,” he said. Awang Tengah said the state government is also in the process of reviewing the rules to enhance the existing provisions. He added that inter-agency cooperation to combat illegal logging is essential to achieve greater impact in enforcement operations.
