LAWAS: The Sarawak government will not compromise on its commitment to tackling illegal logging activities in the state, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan (pix).
However, he stressed that the effort to combat environmental crime needed close cooperation from the public as the eyes and ears of the government to channel information on such activities to the authorities.
At the same time, he said monitoring activities with enforcement agencies as well as the Sarawak Forest Department were ongoing and would be enhanced further.
“It is important for the people to cooperate with the state government in terms of channelling information so that we can take swift action. We assure the public that we will not expose the identity of the informants.
“Illegal logging not only causes the government to incur losses but it is also detrimental to the environment and our forests which are rich in flora and fauna.
“If illegal activities become more rampant, it will disrupt our efforts to protect and conserve the forests in the state,” he told Bernama today.
Earlier, Awang Tengah launched the Limbang Division-level Le Tour De Restoration, Greening Sarawak’s Campaign at the Heart of Borneo (HoB) centre in Kayangeran, Lawas.
Le Tour De Restoration, Greening Sarawak’s Campaign is one of the Sarawak Forest Department’s efforts to increase public awareness on the importance to conserve the environment and forests in line with the Greening Malaysia Programme at the federal level.
Also present at today’s event were Sarawak Forest Department director Datu Hamden Mohammad, heads of departments and agencies as well as community leaders in Lawas.
Awang Tengah, who is also the state’s Second Minister of Urban Development and Natural Resources, said the HoB centre would be used as a forestry research centre for Sarawak, besides developing a part of the area as the Urban Forest Park.
“This area will not only be the location for local and international experts to conduct research, but it will also be a tourist attraction to enjoy the beauty of nature and flora and fauna here.
“Through this effort, we are confident that Sarawak will be able to achieve the goal of one million hectares of forest areas gazetted as Totally Protected Area by 2025,” he said. — Bernama
