Awg Tengah: Amendment Bill serves to further refine roles of SFC, Forest Dept

KUCHING (May 7): The Sarawak Forestry Corporation (Amendment) Bill 2024, which was passed today, is meant to streamline and refine the roles of Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.

The Second Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development, who tabled the Bill, pointed out the need to amend the Sarawak Forestry Corporation Ordinance 1995 [Cap. 17], as in 2020, the government had mandated that the Forest Department Sarawak (FDS) would assume all responsibilities previously held by the SFC.

“This is provided for under Forests Ordinance 2015, which includes forest management, research and development, compliance, engineering, and revenue collection.

“Conversely, the SFC was tasked with duties specified under the National Parks and Nature Reserves Ordinance 1998, and the Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1998.

“Hence, to give effect to this mandate, amendments to the Sarawak Forestry Corporation Ordinance 1995 are necessary to streamline the overlapping functions between the FDS and the SFC,” he said.

Adding on, Awang Tengah said the amendment would have the interpretation referring to the words ‘director’ and ‘forest produce’ be deleted to reflect the current structure of SFC as an agent of the government to enforce the provisions under the National Parks and Nature Reserves Ordinance 1998 and the Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1998.

“The forestry functions such as sustainable forest management, reforestation, forestry research and forestry policy under the Ordinance, are to be taken out with this amendment; in other words, these functions would be under the purview of the FDS so as to make a clear demarcation on the roles and functions between SFC and FDS.

“SFC is optimally positioned under natural resources, aligning with its mandates of sustainable natural resource management and biodiversity conservation. The scope of the SFC’s responsibilities includes managing natural resources such as flora and fauna within national parks, and the protection of wildlife throughout Sarawak.

“This is in tandem with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development’s focus on balancing conservation with economic uses like tourism.”

Moreover, Awang Tengah said the Bill would seek to delete Section 16 of the Principal Ordinance, and the provision relating to employees under Section 16 would no longer be relevant in view of it having fulfilled the intended purpose.

Regarding the amendment to Section 19 of the Ordinance, the change in the top executive’s title from ‘chief executive officer’ to ‘general manager’, he said it mirrored the designation of top executives in other statutory bodies under his ministry such as the Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) and the Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA), where the designation had been styled as the ‘general managers’.

“The change in the title fosters consistency, and unity within the ministry’s organisational umbrella. This change signifies a move toward improved compliance, cohesion and effective leadership within all organisations under the ministry, and this will lead to continued success and growth.”

Awang Tengah said overall, the Bill was deemed important and ought to be supported by members of the august House.

“The Bill aims to refine, strengthen and enhance the legal framework governing the protection and management of totally protected areas and wildlife in Sarawak, and to ensure that there would be no duplications of duties between FDS and SFC,” he reiterated.