MIRI: Samling Group of Companies (Samling) recently held its first ‘Communities and Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme’ seminar at Mega Hotel here.
The seminar was supported by the Forest Department and Gerenai Communities Rights Action Committee (GCRAC).
It aimed to create awareness and understanding among the local communities on the importance of the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS) and its positive impacts on the local communities.
Deputy Director II (Policy & Planning), Abang Ahmad Abang Morni gave an opening remark on behalf of the director of the Forest Department.
He thanked Samling for organising the seminar.
A Samling spokesperson pointed out that the seminar was a continuation of the group’s frequent consultations with many different external stakeholders.
Speakers from Forest Department, Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC), Sirim QAS International Sdn Bhd (Sirim), Worldwide Fund for Nature Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia) and Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak campus presented papers based on their respective fields of expertise.
The chairman of Save Rivers, Peter Kalang also gave a talk to the audience which included representatives from 15 villages within the Gerenai Forest Management Unit (FMU).
Also present were representatives from the Regional Forest Department Miri, Miri Resident Office, Beluru District Office, Telang Usan District Office, Land and Survey Department, Miri District Police Headquarters, Natural Resource and Environment Board, Sarawak Timber Association, community leaders, committee representatives of the ethnic societies.
