STATES UNITE IN FOREST MANAGEMENT

Malaysian Forestry Policy sets clear direction in facing new challenges, says Muhyiddin

PRIME Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Malaysian Forestry Policy launched yesterday will witness all states coming together on the country’s forestry management, which is now 120 years old.

He said all states have agreed to take up the policy, which outlined a clear direction for the forestry sector in facing new challenges at domestic and international levels, at the 78th National Land Council meeting held on Jan 29.

“I would like to emphasise that the Malaysian Forestry Policy is our shared policy. We must all act and play a more active role as conservation agents and drivers of the country’s socio-economic development.

“I hope that the joint efforts of the federal and state governments in implementing the five objectives of the Malaysian Forestry Policy will continue to be strong, to achieve the desired targets.”

He said this in his speech before launching the Malaysian Forestry Policy in conjunction with the 2021 national-level International Day of Forests here.

Present were Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, and menteris besar and chief ministers of all states who attended the event via a video link.

Muhyiddin also said to achieve the goal of becoming a developed country, development is inevitable.

But in this case, he said the government was serious in managing forests responsibly and sustainably by implementing conservation programmes.

“As a responsible and caring government, various efforts were taken to fulfil the commitment pledged during the Earth Summit in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by mainstreaming biodiversity management in national development.

“Of the total forested areas in Malaysia, only 1.7 per cent are degraded forest areas. Since 2016, 1,859 hectares of degraded areas had been reforested with an allocation of RM152.82 million,” he said.

Muhyiddin said the cost of maintaining and preserving the country’s forest areas, which covered 55.3 per cent or 18.27 million hectares of the land area, was enormous and about RM6 billion was needed for the purpose.

To this end, he said various financial instruments were created, including the National Conservation Trust Fund for Natural Resources and the Forest Development Trust Fund under the state governments in Peninsular Malaysia.

The latest instrument — the Malaysia Forest Fund (MFF) — was established last year.

Through MFF, the country was expected to receive US$100 million in the next seven years, which would be channelled to state governments for forest conservation, including socio-economic aspects like raising the standard of living of the Orang Asli and local communities.

He said based on the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation’s report, Malaysia was among 25 developing countries that had extensive forest cover and a low level of deforestation.

Muhyiddin also expressed appreciation for the commitment of state governments in gazetting sensitive environmental areas as permanent forest reserves, protected areas, wildlife reserves and areas of international interest.

At the same time, he also called on the state governments to step up efforts in gazetting and maintain forests under the Central Forest Spine (CFS) and Heart of Borneo initiatives.

“The Fourth National Physical Plan, which is being finalised, also emphasises CFS to ensure the continuity of a forest landscape through the setting up of a new ecological corridor.

“This approach will reduce conflict between humans and wildlife, as well as enabling the free movement of animals, especially national iconic species that are facing extinction,” he said.

Muhyiddin called on state governments to gazette the habitats of threatened wildlife, such as Malayan tigers, as permanent forest reserves or wildlife reserves.

He expressed concern that if extraordinary measures were not taken, the country was bound to lose its iconic species forever.

Earlier, Muhyiddin also planted a resak tree (Vatica yeechongii), which is named after the late Chan Yee Chong (19462013), an expert in the identification of forest trees, as a symbol of launching the policy and the national-level International Day of Forests 2021.