31 areas in Sarawak proposed as new permanent forest estates, says Awg Tengah

KUCHING (July 26): A total of 31 areas in Sarawak have been proposed as new permanent forest estates (PFE), covering an estimated 814,437 hectares, said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.

Currently, Sarawak has 67 Totally Protected Areas (TPA) with a total area of more than 2.1 million hectares, which includes over 847,000 hectares of land and 1.2 million hectares of water bodies, as well as 118 PFEs with a total area of 3,960,381 hectares, added Awang Tengah, who is also the Second Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development (MUDeNR) and Minister for International Trade, Industry and Investment (Mintred).

“In addition, the Sarawak Forest Department has proposed 31 areas as new PFEs, covering an estimated 814,437 hectares.

“I hope that the federal government would provide more funding through the Ecological Fiscal Transfer (EFT) for conservation activities,” he said when officiating at the national-level International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem at a hotel here today.

Elaborating further, Awang Tengah said various conservation programmes have been implemented, including those by the Forest Department and Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC).

“We also collaborate with higher education institutions, departments and international organisations to conduct scientific exploration and expeditions, among other activities,” he added.

Regarding mangrove forests, Awang Tengah disclosed that Sarawak has so far gazetted 12,950 hectares or 19 per cent of the total mangrove forest area in Sarawak as TPA.

“Additionally, 11,084 hectares or 16 per cent of the total mangrove forest area have been designated as PFE,” he said.

Also present at the event were Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) Dato Sri Huang Tiong Sii; NRES secretary-general Dr Ching Too Kim, MUDeNR permanent secretary Datu Abdullah Julaihi; and Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia deputy director-general (Policy and Planning) Dato Zahari Ibrahim.