Industries welcome Sabah log export ban

Timber association says move will revive industry

PETALING JAYA: Declining log supply from natural forests is one of the main reasons for the immediate ban on the export of logs from Sabah announced by its new chief minister, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, said industry players.

Sabah exports between 200,000 and 300,000 tonnes of logs to countries such as China, Japan, Philippines and India annually.

According to Sabah Timber Industries Association (STIA) president Datuk James Hwong You Chuaang, the latest ban is a good move and a long-awaited, life-saving measure to revive the timber industry in Sabah. He said in a statement that STIA was grateful for the initiative as “over the years many mills have closed down due to shortage of raw material”.

The downstream timber industry in Sabah has suffered for a long time due to insufficient supply of raw materials, added Hwong.

He pointed out that importation was not an option for every manufacturer in Sabah.

“Most factories are set up to cater to processing local timber species from Sabah’s own forests,” Hwong said, adding that the cost of importation was high due to logistics and unfavourable infrastructure connectivity.

Another stumbling block is the uncertainty in the supply of raw material for mills to venture into further downstream activities.

Over the last 40 years, the STIA members’ production and export markets have been based on local timber species.

Therefore, the continuous supply of raw material is a critical assurance to Sabah timber industry players. He added that “the ban on the export of logs by the chief minister is seen as a ray of hope, and that there is light at the end of the tunnel for the timber industry to survive and boost employment for locals in Sabah as well.”

“If we continue with the existing log export policy, more mills will close down,” Hwong pointed out.

With the announcement, the association hoped that the timber industry in Sabah would be further developed in line with the long-term Sabah timber industrialisation programme.