Forest (Amendment) Enactment 2018 gets assemblymen's support

KARANAAN assemblyman Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun has called on the State Government to tighten security controls at all checkpoints in the state to prevent the illegal export of gaharu (agarwood).

Masidi made the call while debating the Forest (Amendment) Enactment 2018, which was read out by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal at the sitting yesterday.

“Security control should be tightened at all checkpoints in the state, especially the airports. This is to ensure that the baggage brought out of the state by tourists will be checked thoroughly,” he said.

Masidi said that gaharu is now almost as expensive as gold. When gaharu is converted into perfume bottles, it is usually sold at an expensive price.

“Back in the old days, most of the gaharu thieves who came to Sabah posed as tourists … and forgive me for saying this, but most of them are from Thailand. They came to our reserved forests … through their contacts,” he said.

He said the thieves were willing enough to do this due to the high price of gaharu.

Masidi had also lauded the amendment to turn the theft of gaharu into a strict liability offence. This means that the burden of proof has now been shifted to the accused. In this regard, he urged the relevant ministry to look into some of the outdated forestry laws of the state.

Paginatan assemblyman Datuk Abidin Madingkir also supported the amendments to the Enactment.

“As of late, gaharu has been extremely popular among perfume sellers. I was made to understand that gaharu is the most expensive type of wood in the world as perfumes produced by this tree are often sold at an expensive price to its buyers,” he said.

Abidin pointed out that gaharu can also be collected from local private landowners, not only from jungles of forest reserves. This is evident as there are hundreds of acres of gaharu in Ranau.

He also commented on the amendment made to Section 38 of the Enactment, which aimed to strengthen enforcement in the protection of gaharu. He said that those responsible for enforcing the laws must be careful in carrying out their duties.

In light of the amendments, Abidin expressed his hope that the Forestry Department would further safeguard the rights of those living in the rural areas by re-evaluating some of the other sections in the Enactment, especially those sections that seem to have a more negative impact on the rural folks.