No illegal logging in Maliau Basin

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Forestry Department has denied a claim by a group that there was illegal logging in the Maliau Basin forest reserve.

Chief Conservator of Forests Sam Mannan said yesterday that images posted on the Internet by Gerakan Anak Muda Selamatkan Sabah showing equipment markings were unfamiliar to the state.

“The photos that are making rounds in social media could have been taken anywhere on the island of Borneo.

“The most glaring inconsistency in these allegations is that the equipment shown reflected registration markings not found in Sabah,” he said.

Mannan said Maliau Basin was categorised as a totally protected area (TPA) and could not be licenced for logging.

The logging truck shown in the photos making the rounds on social media showed a Sarawak registration.

“The Forestry Department’s anti-poaching team visited the area recently and confirmed its sanctity,” he said, adding that the forest reserve was managed for research and conservation only.

He said it was also well protected with the presence of NGOs, researchers, tourists and Yayasan Sabah, as well as the department’s own surveillance.

“Its proximity to the Kalabakan highway and easy accessibility also means any suspicious activities would have been detected immediately,” Mannan said.