Forest Dept blasts NGOs for manipulating indigenous causes for own gain: Where are the roads and facilities?

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By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Oct 17: The Forest Department of Sarawak has condemned civil society organisations such as the Bruno Manser Fonds (BMF), Save Rivers, and The Borneo Project for disseminating misleading information and propagating one-sided narratives following the termination of the Upper Baram Forest Area (UBFA) project.

These organisations, according to Sarawak Forest director Datu Hamden Mohammad, have exploited the project to further their own agendas while neglecting the needs of local communities, all under the guise of advocating for the indigenous people of Upper Baram.

He asserted that the project was terminated after extensive discussions with the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) with the decision made to prevent non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from manipulating the project for their own purposes without considering the majority of the local communities’ needs.

“We terminated the project to prevent further NGO interference in the implementation of the UBFA and to disassociate ourselves from the BMF, which believes it has the right to dictate the actions of the Sarawak government since they provide a measly funding of USD150,000 when they manipulated its financial contribution to the UBFA project to interfere with Sarawak’s sovereignty,” he stated in a press release.

“They (NGOs) used the UBFA project to stay relevant under the guise of advocating for the indigenous people of Upper Baram,” he criticised in a statement today.

This statement was in response to the NGOs attributing the cancellation of the flagship USD1.4 million UBFA project—aimed at conserving a core area of 79,000 hectares of primary forest by removing it from existing logging concessions—to a lack of transparency and breakdown in communication.

The project, initially launched as the Baram Peace Park by local communities as an indigenous-led conservation effort, received financial support from the BMF, the Government of Japan, and the City of Basel (Switzerland). The Malaysian government submitted it to the ITTO for funding as the UBFA, covering 283,500 hectares of forest and agricultural land in Sarawak’s Upper Baram region.

Hamden reiterated that the decision to terminate the project was not due to the reasons claimed by the NGOs, which suggested that the Forest Department could not handle the pressure to be transparent.

“The project’s objectives and activities were clearly outlined during the first steering committee meeting. Instead of engaging constructively, these NGOs have taken their grievances to the media, making false allegations.

“The Department has collaborated with ITTO on at least 16 projects since the 1990s, totalling more than USD16 million, without encountering challenges or interference from donors—except now.

“The NGOs are well aware of why we terminated the project but have chosen to blame the Forest Department for sinking the UBFA project,” he said.

Condemning these NGOs for offering mere lip service to the Upper Baram community, Hamden questioned their commitment to genuinely improving local livelihoods. “Where are the roads and facilities they have built for the community?” he asked, highlighting the lack of tangible benefits from their involvement.

“The NGOs seem to issue complaints from the comfort of their desks. Have they ever taken the time to listen to the voices of the majority in Upper Baram?,” he added.

He also questioned the transparency of NGOs like Save Rivers, stating, “Where is their spirit of cooperation when they publicly criticise Sarawak while being citizens of this State?”

Hamden reiterated that the decision to terminate the project arose not from external pressure but from a desire to prioritise the immediate needs of the Upper Baram community, in which an overwhelming majority has rejected NGO interference, as evidenced by letters sent to the Premier’s Office, the Department, and ITTO.

Local community members, he revealed, have expressed dissatisfaction with the NGOs during dialogue sessions held at Data Bila on Oct 8, 2024, prior to the second Project PSC meeting.

“They also denied entry to the NGOs to participate in the dialogue. However, the Department convinced the local community to allow everyone a fair opportunity to voice their concerns, regardless of their affiliations,” he explained.

Hamden affirmed that the Department has worked diligently to create a win-win situation for local communities, adhering to Sarawak government’s laws and regulations.

He noted that NGOs like Save Rivers and BMF appear to prefer that Penan communities maintain traditional lifestyles in the jungle.

“While this may have been true in the 1980s, most Penans today prefer to settle in areas with access to roads and develop alongside other ethnic groups in Sarawak. The Penan Council, led by the Pemanca, has communicated this preference to the Premier of Sarawak,” he said.

“Let the community speak for themselves. If they choose to follow the government plan, we will do our best to meet their needs, and if they choose to remain where they are, we will respect that, too,” he asserted.

Despite terminating the project, Hamden assured that collaboration with ITTO would continue, with two new projects focusing on community development and sustainable livelihoods planned for implementation in 2025.

He reassured the local community in the UBFA that the Department remains committed to their welfare and will pursue alternative funding sources for future projects, free from NGO interference. — DayakDaily

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