Awang Tengah touring the new office of State Forest Department at Baitul Makmur 2. – Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING (Dec 11): The State Forest Department will intensify its enforcement operations to combat illegal logging activities in the state, informed deputy chief minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
He noted that even though the overall situation was under control, it could not be denied that illegal logging was still happening in parts of the state.
“I want enforcement to be stepped up, especially in combating illegal logging activities. We will continue to intensify our operations.
“Even during this Covid-19 pandemic, agencies never stop their enforcement,” he told a press conference after officiating the new Forest Department office at Baitul Makmur 2 Friday.
Awang Tengah, who is also the Minister of Resource Planning and Environment, said that as a result from various operations conducted, many offenders were arrested with some compounded and some brought to court.
“What is important is for us to strengthen and coordinate our operations.
“At the same time, we need information from the public. The public has been proactive in giving information so I hope they will continue to give information. It is the responsibility of all to combat illegal logging,” he said.
On which parts of Sarawak where illegal logging is prevalent, the minister said that there was no specific area as it happens everywhere.
“It happens in the rural areas, along the rivers, at the border. That is why we need cooperation from other agencies as well as the community.
“If the community sees suspicious activities or intrusion in their area, they need to give information fast so that we can act fast,” he said.
Earlier in his speech, Awang Tengah had pointed out that combating illegal logging had to be a continuous agenda for the department.
“If it is not curbed, it will not only be detrimental to our revenue but also will bring many problems to our environment and our water sources.
“The Forest Department, together with other agencies, need to cooperate to ensure that enforcement will be step up from time to time,” he said, adding that the department had also been supplied with Sarawak Aerial Detection Unit (Sadu) with one unit of airplane which should be useful in enforcement efforts.
Besides officiating the department’s new office, Awang Tengah also launched the new Forest Department website as well as witnessed the handover of the National Park Management Plan to Sarawak Forestry Corporation.
He expressed his hope that the department would make full use of the new website to present and provided the latest information to the public.
“This is important to promote forest-related information as well as to increase public awareness on the importance of forest and to encourage public participation to help protect and preserve the forests in the state,” he said.
During his tour of the new office, Awang Tengah was presented with a surprise birthday cake, as a belated celebration of his birthday on December 2.
Also present were Urban Development and Resources Assistant Minister Datu Len Talif Salleh, Forest Department director Datu Hamden Mohammad, Deputy State Secretary Datu Ik Pahon Joyik, and Ministry of Urban Development and Natural Resources permanent secretary Datu Zaidi Mahdi.
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