Hot Commodities: Illegal loggers love Chengal, Merbau and Balu
The increasing public awareness of environmental issues and the strict monitoring by the Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Department using advanced technology has now greatly helped to control and prevent illegal logging activities.
MUHAMMAD AFHAM RAMLI
In 1992, Malaysia, via the Prime Minister who attended the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, made a commitment to maintain at least 50 per cent of the country's land area covered with forests and trees.
In an exclusive interview, Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Department (Forestry) director-general Datuk Mohd Ridza Awang shares about illegal logging activities and issues that often invite negative perceptions among society.
Sinar Harian’s Crime Desk chief Muhammad Afham Ramli talks to him at the Forestry headquarters in Kuala Lumpur recently.
SINAR HARIAN: What are the types of forest and forest areas that still exist in Peninsular Malaysia?
MOHD RIDZA: Malaysia is very lucky, we have an abundance of flora and fauna species as well as an ecosystem which we have been recognised as among the 12 most diverse countries in the world.
According to 2020 statistics, the land area in Peninsular Malaysia is 13.22 million hectares. Of the total, 5.69 million hectares are forested land which covers a Permanent Forest Reserve (HSK) of 4.8 million hectares and non-HSK of 888,450 hectares.
HSK in Peninsular Malaysia is classified into two main categories, namely production forests and protection forests which have an area of 2.96 million hectares and 1.84 million hectares respectively.
In general, forested areas in Peninsular Malaysia consist of three types of ecosystems, namely mangrove swamp forests, peat swamp forests and terrestrial ecosystems.
Can you explain further what is meant by production forest?
Production forests are a category of HSK that allows logging activities to meet the supply of raw wood materials for local needs.
Logging in production forests is implemented under Sustainable Forest Management, which is based on three main pillars; community well-being, economic prosperity and environmental stability.
Logging is carried out on a selective basis where only mature trees with a certain trunk size are allowed to be felled while small trees are left as tree stock for the next felling round scheduled for the next 30 years.
This means that when an area is logged, for example, 100 hectares this year, in the next 30 years we can come back to the same area for second logging.
Apart from that, logging activities in HSK are also carried out under strict conditions according to the Forest Road Guidelines, the marking of mother trees and maintenance of buffer zones.
Logging in HSK is largely controlled through the setting of Annual Felling Ration (CTT) for each state. Each year it has been limited to how much an area of HSK can be logged.
Based on JPSM's monitoring, this legal logging is done below the limit and does not exceed the rations set by all states. This is one of the ways we control logging in HSK.
The issue of illegal logging is often the topic of discussion in today’s society. To what extent were activities of illegal logging last year?
In 2021, 407 cases of forest offences were detected of which 55 cases were illegal logging activities and 352 cases were of other forest offences such as mining, agriculture and climbing among others.
For illegal logging, the definition in the context of the Forestry department refers to the offences under Section 15 (1) of the National Forestry Act (APN) 1984 (Amendment 1993) which is to take forest produce on government land and HSK without a license, Section 40 (1) which is to transfer forest produce from land owned or reserve without a license and Section 81 (1) (b) example felling, cutting trees in HSK.
Of the 407 cases of forest offences detected in 2021, a total of 245 cases were reported in HSK, 19 cases occurred on government land and 71 in wood-based ownership or industry, five on owned land and 67 in transit example offences on roads.
Of the 407 cases of forest offences, the department has successfully detained 637 individuals; 605 locals and 32 foreigners.
According to the illegal logging offences trend from 2015 to 2021, it recorded a decline except from 2019 when illegal logging was redefined as the above.
In 2015, Forestry recorded 12 cases, in 2016 there were 11 cases, for 2017 and 2018 there were three cases before increasing to 84 cases in 2019. In 2020, it dropped to 56 cases followed by 55 cases in 2021.
However, based on our observations, illegal logging cases in the country is under control and do not occur widely as some would think. Maybe when people see there is logging in an area, they think it is illegal logging.
When an investigation is made, the work has a valid license from the department and it is done at an approved location. However, in terms of policy, the Forestry department still welcomes the public to channel any information related to illegal logging to be investigated and enforcement action taken. If it is true there is illegal logging, they will not escape legal action.
How is the modus operandi of illegal logging syndicate obscure making it difficult for authorities to detect it?
There is no doubt that there are many modus operandi for illegal logging activities whether they are carried out by syndicates or individuals on a small scale.
For example, the Selangor state government has implemented a moratorium on no logging for a period of 25 years effective in 2010.
Through the monitoring done through Forest Monitoring Using Remote Sensing, the entire HSK area in Selangor should be green when viewed through satellite images. However, when we find areas that are “empty” or change colour, it indicates that there is a possibility of deforestation. When we see the change, we will send a team to review the area.
Apart from that, the department also conducts field patrols through the Enforcement Units in the states and districts with a focus on hotspot areas, which are locations that have been identified as frequent intrusions. In addition to patrols, drone technology is also used to monitor specific locations.
Overall, the crime of illegal logging is extremely serious as it involves the loss of government revenue. In my opinion, there are other aspects that are affected by illegal logging, including the country, state and department’s image as well as leakages in the system. On top of that, it also damages biodiversity and the environment.
Licensed and illegal logging are different because licensed areas have set guidelines for licensees to adhere to. We mark trees that are allowed to be cut down and will be recorded including putting tags and numbers series of each felled tree.
The construction of forest roads is also controlled
because there are specifications imposed to prevent environmental damage. Even large riverside trees are not allowed to be felled as well as fruit trees that are important in terms of fauna, such as beehives, despite their large size. They are not allowed to be chopped down.
But the unlicensed logging, they cut down and do whatever they like.
What are the trees often targeted by illegal loggers?
Peninsular Malaysia has an area of 4.34 million hectares of terrestrial forest and is rich in various types of trees. Illegal loggers typically targets valuable timber such as chengal, merbau and balu. The price for each timber depends on the species, for example, chengal is around RM6,000 per tonne while balau is around RM4,000 or more. When the price of this wood increases in the market, that's where we know that there are a handful of parties who hire people to find wood in forests illegally.
But today, I believe illegal logging activities have become difficult due to the shift in community attitudes that are more sensitive to forest conservation. Not only that, there are various platforms for them to channel complaints quickly such as the use of social media and hotlines.
What are the department's measures to rehabilitate the affected forests and make them green once more?
After logging activities in HSK are completed, we will re-evaluate the area and will carry out replanting if it is found that the number of trees is insufficient from the set standards. Apart from the logged areas, we also carry out cultivation in open areas or degraded areas in HSK.
Recently, last year the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry launched the Malaysian Greening Program through the 100 Million Tree Planting Campaign for five years from 2021 to 2025. The community response to this campaign has been very encouraging where the number of trees planted has exceeded the target of 20 million for 2021.
