Today, 55.3% of Malaysia’s total land area remains under forest cover.)
Malaysia recognises the importance of managing its natural resources intelligently, which includes the conservation of flora and fauna. Conserving the nation’s richly biodiverse forests and its ecosystem is a vital focus for the future, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030.
Malaysia’s commitment – dating back to the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, to maintain at least 50% of its total land area under forest cover stays true, as currently 55.3% of the country’s land area remains under forest cover.
The country has a total forested area of 18.27 million hectares, of which 10.92 million hectares are Permanent Reserve Forests (PRF) and 3.31 million hectares are totally protected areas.
Timber organization’s backing ‘one step’ toward ‘peace park’ in Borneo
In December 2020, the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) endorsed a proposal by the Forest Department Sarawak (FDS) for what’s come to be known as the Baram Peace Park, covering 2,835 square kilometers (1,095 square miles) on the island of Borneo.
Proponents of the park say it will protect wildlife, forest-dependent livelihoods, and the last remaining primary forest in the Malaysian state of Sarawak.
But they also acknowledge that the ITTO’s announcement is only a step toward the park’s designation, and industrial logging continues to threaten the region’s forests.
Contrary to common belief, Malaysia has only counted its dipterocarp forests, montane forests, as well as the freshwater, peat and mangrove swamp forests in the country’s total forest cover statistics, says the writer.
A world that is increasingly worried about an atmosphere that is fast-saturated by greenhouse gases emitted by anthropogenic activities is looking for every possible means to slow down the trajectory of a warming planet.
The role of carbon-absorbing forests, especially tropical rainforests, in regulating climate has never been more important. Once again, protecting the remaining forested areas which lie in the territories of developing countries has regained international attention, and is thrust into the forefront of the battle to reverse the planetary emergency.
Muhtar: SFM has been built into the industry since the 1900s.
IN recent years, sustainability has been a key concern with primary industries such as timber. But what many may not know is that sustainable forest management practices (SFM) have been built into the industry’s foundation for nearly a century.
Under SFM, only specific trees with the right specifications are allowed to be harvested via the selective management system.
“Sustainability has been at the core of the timber industry since 1901, when the British introduced the SFM system in Malaya, which is still being practised today, ” said Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) chief executive officer (CEO) Muhtar Suhaili.
The new CEO of the Malaysian Timber Council envisions everyone chipping in to take the industry to new heights
Ask Muhtar Suhaili whether he has taken a break since being appointed CEO of the Malaysian Timber Council on Nov 1 and he laughs. Besides receiving visitors non-stop, he has read MTC’s annual reports from 2011, met with business partners and associates from government agencies, and sat down with fellow management members to map the direction for the Council.
A grasp of the details is crucial, no doubt, but, more importantly, this young man can see the forest for the trees.
Timber is a new field for Muhtar, 39, who has worked in the automotive, oil and gas, and palm oil sectors. “It’s a different industry but, as CEO, the way I manage things is still the same people, system, engagement.