Sarawak, Sabah must end deforestation to claim 70% carbon tax revenue, says PKR man

Roland Engan said carbon revenue should not just be a reward for past geography “but a binding commitment to future preservation”.

“If (states in) East Malaysia are to be compensated as the nation’s premier carbon sinks, they must actively protect them.

“We cannot demand 70% of carbon tax revenue while simultaneously allowing the depletion of the very forests generating that value,” he said in a statement tonight.

He was responding to Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg’s remarks yesterday that East Malaysia should receive at least 70% of any carbon tax revenue collected, as the two states (Sabah and Sarawak) serve as the nation’s primary carbon sinks.

Abang Johari said that outside of Pahang, the rest of Malaysia lacks sizable forest canopies capable of substantial carbon sequestration, while Sarawak’s vast peatlands and mangrove forests store several times more carbon than many other forest ecosystems.

Roland, who is also the Sarawak PKR chief, suggested that carbon tax revenue distributions to Sabah and Sarawak be contingent upon zero-deforestation KPIs and robust, transparent monitoring.

He said financial incentives must directly fund the permanent protection and restoration of existing natural habitats, rather than offsetting ongoing commercial logging or land conversion.

He also said both states must demonstrate globally aligned standards in forest management to justify such a significant portion of federal tax revenue.

“True environmental stewardship requires aligning financial incentives with total ecological preservation,” he said.