Illegal logging could cost M'sia RM800-900mil yearly

February 1, 2012
By ISABELLE LAI
Star

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia stands to lose between RM800mil to RM900mil annually if illegal logging is not controlled, Transparency-International (TI) Malaysia president Datuk Paul Low Seng Kuan said Wednesday.

However, he believed illegal logging was "pretty much under control" in Peninsular Malaysia, although more attention needed to be paid to east Malaysian states.

He urged state governments to quickly move to designate and gazette selected areas for forest conservation to prevent them from being allocated for forestry activities.

"We are concerned about ensuring areas designated for conservation are quickly marked off and gazetted," he said after the launching of the Forest Watch and Public Awareness Campaign on Forest Conservation here.

He added that it was vital to determine in policy how much forest was allowed for either plantation or development.

"Yes, there are sporadic areas where legal loggers may extend beyond their boundaries. But I think that the issue of forestry conservation also has to be tackled at the policy side," he said, adding that he believed the state governments were carrying out their enforcement responsibilities against illegal logging in their respective states.

The Forest Watch project allows anyone to monitor the forest and track illegal logging activities at will, through simple, easy-to-use Google techniques.

"The Forest Watch Project is developed to engage the public as the eyes and ears of the forest through the use of Google Earth Geospatial Technology (satellite, imagery, aerial photography and GIS 3D globe)," he said.

"The public can then assess and report irregularities through the new website," he said.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigations director Datuk Mustafar Ali said the commission took the issue of corruption in forestry activities very seriously.

He added that MACC had received around 88 complaints last year from various parties including non-governmental organisations and the public.

Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Department director-general Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Abdul Rahim said the Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) Ministry was in the final stages of revising the National Forestry Act to include new provisions for higher penalties, imprisonment and strict liability.

"The ministry has also established the 1NRE Enforcement team comprising various enforcement departments within NRE to conduct integrated enforcement operations," he read in a speech text on behalf of NRE Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas.

Bigger penalties for illegal logging from next year

Dec 1, 2010 MYT 3:28:00 PM
Star

KUALA LUMPUR: The penalty for illegal logging will be doubled to RM1mil and jail term raised to between five and 20 years, after amendments to the relevant law are made next year.

Currently, the penalty for illegal logging is RM500,000 and jail of between one and 20 years.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the decision was made Wednesday to amend the National Forestry Act 1984 (Act 313), to intensify law enforcement pertaining to illegal logging and similar offences.

He said the Attorney-General's office would study the minimum amount of penalty before the Bill could be tabled in Parliament next year.

"The National Forestry (Amendment) Act 2010 will emphasise on transferring the burden of producing evidence from the prosecutors to those who are found to possess the illegal logs," he said, after chairing the 66th National Land Council meeting here Wednesday.

MACC uncovers illegal logging at Perak-Pahang border

"License issued on Oct 16, 2009 and expired on Jan 15, 2010".
Meaning the license was for only THREE months by the Barisan Najis government. Easily confirm that any logging should be the same logging company. Don't tell me these illegal loggers cannot be traced. I guess they need the under table money to pay for the frogs without thinking about our natural heritage. If you have seen the TV news, video of raiding party was shown. Somebody had actually tipped the illegal loggers when road was blocked by logs. Someone in the foresty must be on the take. Damned the corrupted! Hell to these traitors!


Sunday March 7, 2010
MACC uncovers illegal logging at Perak-Pahang border
Star

IPOH: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has uncovered illegal logging at a 100ha site near Jalan Simpang Pulai-Cameron Highlands at the Perak-Pahang border.

A MACC spokesman who declined to be named said the operation was conducted jointly with officers from Perak Forestry Department and Rela on Saturday.

The operation which began at 9am led to the discovery of hundreds of fallen trees worth millions and several pieces of heavy machinery.

“The culprits managed to escape after blocking the road with tree trunks and heavy machinery,” he added.

Initial investigation found that logging was still being carried out there although the licence issued on Oct 16, 2009 had expired on Jan 15, 2010.

The enforcement officers believed that more than 10 people were involved in illegal logging in the area.

He said this was based on the freshly cooked food found in a tent. -- Bernama

Perak halts logging after protests

Friday June 20, 2008
Staronline
By CLARA CHOOI

GOPENG: The Perak government has issued an immediate stop-work order to all parties involved in logging near orang asli settlements here.

But that may not be enough to end the longstanding problems faced by some 2,000 villagers.

Yesterday, however, the villagers had an opportunity to vent their frustrations during a site visit by Health, Environment and Human Resources Committee chairman A. Sivanesan, Teja assemblyman Chang Lih Kang, government representatives, and activists.

Also present were officials from Gopeng Bhd, which has come under fire for removing a 14.5km long pipeline, which had run from the Ulu Geroh water catchment area to Gopeng town since November.

The villagers from Kampung Ulu Kampar, Kampung Ulu Geroh and Kampung Serkal alleged they had been victimised and threatened to resort to “violent action” if the “intrusion on their lands” continued.

“We do not want this anymore. No more logging. No more destruction of our ancestral grounds, our crops, our water source, our rivers, our businesses and our lives,” said nature guide Ahha Bah Udal.

The villagers claimed that the recent approval for a 136.72ha logging concession in Kg Empang Besar to a company would further destroy their lands.

“When Gopeng Bhd removed their pipeline, they destroyed our roads and our rivers with the sludge from their construction.

“Now they want to log this area. We will not accept this,” said Ulu Geroh village development and security committee chairman Bah Azmi Ng Porgi, who spoke on behalf of the villagers.

A visit to several areas yesterday showed hill slopes on the verge of slipping, clogged and murky rivers and a crumbling bridge.

Upon seeing the damage, Sivanesan issued an immediate stop work order pending a meeting to study the matter and its legal implications.

“This order is temporary and will be in force for two weeks.

“I need to study the approval given by the Forestry Department and any of the stipulated guidelines the contractor may or may not have breached.

“If the state finds any form of violation, we reserve the right to withdraw the logging approval and order for compensation for the damage caused,” he said.

Logging in Penang State Park?

In Penang, there is a national park called Penang National Park at Teluk Bahang.

Bukit Panchor State Penang is the first state park declared on 9 Aug 2007. Another state park at Pulau Jerejak is on the pipeline.

State parks are governed by the state whereas the national parks are protected by the federal government. Development and logging are strictly disallowed in both....as far as I know until now.

But right here at Bukit Panchor State Park you could see logs right at the park headquarter. Is there logging? You tell me.

Observe carefully, you could see blue marking lines to indicate the size of the log.

More logs.

The modus operandi of actual logging are those of arranged logs, diameter measurements and certain length for logs.

If there is indeed logging, I hope our present Penang State Government will benefit from the sale. Or is there any hanky panky? So, is there logging in the Penang State Park?

Hope someone from Forestry could answer this.

Changes to curb illegal logging

The Star
Friday August 24, 2007
By C.A. ZULKIFLE

TUMPAT: Tagging trees with radio frequency identification (RFID) devices and raising the reward for information are two of several sweeping changes being considered to curb illegal logging.

Natural Resources and Environment Ministry parliamentary secretary Datuk Sazmi Miah said other moves being considered included allowing the ferrying of timber only during the day.

He said on his road journey back to Kota Baru from Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, he counted 70 trailers ferrying logs at night.

He said he would also propose that the movement of trailers be done on a fixed schedule to enable effective monitoring of their cargo.

The proposed hours would be from 10am to 5pm daily, he said after opening a Merdeka carnival at SK Kampung Laut here.

Sazmi said previously, forest rangers faced difficulty in determining if the logs chopped down were from restricted zones, so RFID technology could help them overcome the problem.

He would propose that RFID tags be fitted to tree trunks in selected zones of forest reserves, especially in areas prone to illegal logging.

“Some of the logs obtained illegally are sent extremely fast to wood processing factories, before the authorities can react.”

He said the ministry was studying how the mechanism of illegal logging worked, from the modus operandi of loggers to the transporters and factory operators.

Sazmi acknowledged that illegal loggers continued to operate beneath the radar of detection imposed by the authorities.

He said the ministry would check to determine if there were insiders aiding illegal logging syndicates.

Public information was also crucial, and the ministry hoped to increase the rewards offered, he said.

He added that illegal logging must be stopped immediately because its effects on the environment were lingering. Most of the rivers in Kelantan, he said, were polluted due to siltation caused by over-logging in hilly terrain.

He was also worried that floods, a usual occurrence during the year-end monsoon, could worsen due to excessive logging.