KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Malaysian Forestry Policy launched today will witness all states coming together on the country’s forest which is now 120 million years old.
The Prime Minister said all states have agreed to adopt 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 (MTN) 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.
He said this in his speech before launching the Malaysian Forestry Policy in conjunction with the 2021 National level International Day of Forests here, today.
Also present was the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, with the virtual attendance of menteris besar and chief ministers.
Muhyiddin also admitted that in order to achieve the goal of becoming a developed country, development is inevitable, but in this case, he stressed that the government is very serious in managing forests responsibly and sustainably in implementing conservation programmes.
“As a responsible and caring government, various efforts were taken to fulfill 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, a total of 1,859 hectares of degraded areas have been reforested with an allocation of RM152.82 million,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the cost of maintaining and preserving the country's forest areas which cover 55.3 per cent or 18.27 million hectares of the country’s land area is enormous and about RM6 billion is needed for the purpose.
In addition, he said the meeting also agreed that the Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Policy 2020 (DPSM 2020) would replace the National Forestry Policy 1978 (Revised 1992) which is applicable to the Peninsula
“The three regional forestry policies, namely the Sabah Forest Policy, the Sarawak Forest Policy and the Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Policy, which focus on strengthening forest management in a sustainable manner, are also part of the Malaysian Forestry Policy,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shamsul Anuar said that despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the ministry managed to achieved several milestones in the forestry sector.
These include the implementation of the Greening Malaysia Agenda via the 100 Million Trees Planting Campaign and the planting of 18.75 million trees nationwide in 2020.
Others are the nomination of the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve site under the Man and the Biosphere Programme, Unesco; the nomination of the Endau Rompin Johor National Park as the 4th ASEAN Heritage Park in Malaysia and the repatriation of nine Orang Utans to Indonesia.
Shamsul Anuar also assured that various initiatives and programmes on forest and biodiversity conservation would continue to be intensified, improved and strengthened from time to time.
“Special focus will be given to the greening Malaysia agenda to enhance forest conservation through tree planting, rehabilitation and restoration of degraded forest areas, in collaboration with state governments under the 12th Malaysia Plan,” he said.
He also reiterated the government’s commitment to maintain at least 50 percent of the country’s land mass under forest cover, as pledged during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992.
Shamsul Anuar said at present, 55.3 per cent of the land area in Malaysia, or 18.27 million hectares, are covered by forests.
He said towards this direction, various special financial instruments were created including the National Conservation Trust Fund for Natural Resources, Forest Development Trust Fund under the state governments in Peninsular Malaysia and the latest, the Malaysia Forest Fund (MFF) which was established last year.
Muhyiddin said through MFF, the country is expected to receive USD100 million (RM400 million) in the next seven years which would be channeled to state governments for the conservation of forest including social forest to raise the socio-economic standard of Orang Asli and the local communities.
As a record, he said based on the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report, Malaysia is among 25 developing countries which have high forest cover and low deforestation activities.
The Prime Minister also expressed his appreciation of the commitment of state governments in gazetting sensitive environmental areas as permanent forest reserve, protected areas, Wildlife Reserve and areas of international interest.
At the same time he also called on state governments to step up efforts to gazette and maintain forest areas as Central Forest Spine (CFS) and Heart of Borneo (HoB).
“The Fourth National Physical Plan (RFN4) which is being finalised is also placing emphasis on CFS to ensure the continuity of forest landscape through the setting up of new ecological corridor.
“This approach is capable of reducing the conflict between humans and wildlife as well as to enable the free movement of wildlife especially national iconic species which are facing extinction,” he said.
On threatened species, Muhyiddin called on state governments to gazette the habitat areas of Malayan Tigers as permanent forest reserve or wildlife reserve in their respective states.
He expressed his concerns that if extraordinary actions were not taken now, the country is bound to lose its iconic species such as the Malayan Tiger forever.
Earlier, Muhyiddin also planted a Resak tree or scientifically called Vatica Yeechongii which is named after the late Chan Yee Chong (1946-2013), a forest tree identification expert as a symbol of launching the policy and the national level International Day of Forests 2021. -Bernama
