No more ‘timber politics’ in Sarawak - Abang Johari

SERIAN: Sarawak, which has previously depended on timber exports as a source of income till the term ‘timber politics’ was coined, has now stepped forward into a new era that prioritises forest restoration.

Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state is now in a time where forest restoration will generate new income for the state, especially in the global carbon market.

“Our income used to depend on timber, that’s why the politics then were ‘timber politics’. Now we have changed, we don’t rely on timber, we rely on brainpower,” he said during his speech at the 2024 Sarawak-level International Forest Day celebrations at the Sabal Agro-Forestry Centre, about 60 kilometres from here today.

He added that the Sarawak state government had successfully reduced the rate of logging in the state by about two million cubic metres annually thanks to the policy of complying with forest management certification conditions for both natural and plantation forests.

“I want the (timber) industry (players) to know why we reduce exports of logs, why we discourage the cutting of logs, because now we have alternatives to (develop) our economy,” he said.

Abang Johari said policies implemented by the Sarawak state government enabled them to retain around 62 per cent forest cover in the state, and currently has 26 certified forest management units encompassing 2.38 million hectares and seven plantation forest management units encompassing 97,966 hectares.

He also expressed his appreciation to the Sarawak Forestry Department for achieving excellent successes not only in forest conservation but in providing added value and new approaches to balance development and environmental conservation, and agreed with the proposal of its director, Datuk Hamden Mohamad to develop Sabal Agro-Forestry Centre as a multipurpose centre, especially for forest research, recreational and tourism activities.

The development of the centre, at an estimated cost of RM50 million, could make it another attraction for visitors to Serian district when it is completed as a department project under the 13th Malaysia Plan.