KL will continue to support HoB Initiative – Minister

KOTA KINABALU: The Federal Government will continue to support Sabah and Sarawak in the implementation the Heart of Borneo (HoB) Initiative in view of the accomplishments achieved, said tNatural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

In the Ninth and Tenth Malaysia Plans, Wan Junaidi said the Federal Government had allocated about RM33.4 million to implement various projects and activities under the HoB Initiative and had further allocated a significant amount of RM67.8 million under the 11th Malaysia Development Plan for the same purpose.

Out of this, he said about RM41.5 million was for Sabah HoB Project, making the total contribution for Sabah alone up to about RM65.7 million.

“The successful implementation of all the activities under HoB also indicates the dedication and support of the both state governments.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank both state governments, Sabah and Sarawak for giving their full commitment to the HoB Initiative.”

Wan Junaidi stated that in his speech, which was delivered by the secretary general of his ministry, Dato’ Sri Azizan bin Ahmad, at the closing ceremony of the International HoB Conference - A Decade of HoB Initiative: Accomplishments and the Way Forward.

He said Malaysia was one of the mega biodiversity hotspots in the world, with very high diversity of flora and fauna, most of which were found in the tropical rainforests.

Besides home to the invaluable biodiversity, he said the forests played an important role in the maintenance of climatic and environmental stability and in the supply of clean water resources in line with efforts towards achieving the Global Objectives on Forests as well as the Sustainable Development Goals to ensure environmental sustainability.

He said Malaysia recognized the importance of HoB Initiative, which emphasized on the conservation of forests and sustainable forest management.

“This is in harmony with the existing policies, plans and programmes pertaining to sustainable development, land use and conservation, at both the state and national levels.

“The Ministry of Natural Resources, Malaysia views the HoB as a significant initiative that will directly contribute towards the betterment in forest management and conservation.

“Therefore, this initiative will continue to be placed well within the government’s sustainable development framework and policy,” he said.

Wan Junaidi continued to say that much has been achieved from the HoB Initiative after 10 years of implementation since the Declaration on the HoB Initiative was signed among the three countries, namely Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia in 2007.

“Sabah, in particular, has gazetted about 26 per cent of the State’s land area, approximately 1.87 million hectares, as Totally Protected Areas (TPAs), and this figure represents the largest network of TPAs in the country,” he said.