ID :
133158
Fri, 07/16/2010 - 13:39
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/133158
The shortlink copeid
FOREST RANGERS – UNSUNG HEROES OF THE WILDERNESS
By Salbiah Said
CHERATING (PAHANG), July 16 (Bernama) -- They are trained law enforcement officers and ecologists, and their work demands that they spend long hours alone in the forest.
These men in forest-green uniforms are our very own forest rangers, the
human face of the jungles of Peninsular Malaysia, and who are at the battlefront
against illegal loggers, many of whom are organised syndicates, who plunder the
nation’s forests for selfish gains.
They are Malaysia’s unsung heroes who spend days in the thick forests, with
only the moon to light up their nights and pray that they do not fall prey to
wild beasts, or other creatures of the third kind.
But having close encounters with the wildlife or creatures of the third kind
are not their area of concern, as their chief mission is to ensure that
Malaysia’s pristine natural tropical forests are sustainably managed and
conserved, with illegal logging remaining a major challenge for these rangers.
According to the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM)’s
Director of Forest Enforcement, Zahari Ibrahim, while illegal logging in
Peninsular Malaysia was under control, constituting less than one per cent as
against those allowed by law, it was not sitting on its laurels.
“There are still illegal logging operations which are being conducted in
small patches and organised manner in preserved and remote areas. Our target is
towards zero illegal logging by 2016,” he told Bernama at the Forestry
Department’s workcamp here recently.
TOWARDS ZERO ILLEGAL LOGGING BY 2016
The objective of the workcamp was to conduct a post-mortem and an analysis
into the factors contributing to the occurrence of illegal logging activities
and to review the Action Plan to Combat Illegal Logging in Peninsular Malaysia
(2008-2020).
At the end of the four-day programme from May 24, the department was
expected to formulate an Action Plan (2001-2015), which is more practical, with
the targeted year to rid off illegal logging shortened from 2020 to 2016.
According to Zahari, illegal logging was primarily driven by socio-economic
factors, stimulated by encouraging demand for timber, especially from
timber-based and furniture factories which depended heavily on natural forests.
As a result of depleting resources, these factories had look for alternative
sources to sustain their operations, he said.
Some villagers, he added, took advantage of the situation and chose the easy
route by felling trees in forests which had been gazetted as permanent forest
reserves.
ORGANISED SYNDICATES USING ‘TONTO’
“At present, these illegal logging activities are more organised, with
syndicates managed by those familiar with the forests, using sophisticated
communication system and ‘tonto’ (abetters) to foil operations conducted by our
rangers,” said Zahari.
“They have a strong network, ranging from the tree cutter, who hands over
the logs to the lorry driver who ferries the goods to the buyer. The buyer then
sells the timber to the factory.
“The dilemma we are facing is how to crumble their modus operandi, and it is
rather difficult for us to identify the culprits as there are syndicates who use
children, villagers and Orang Asli folks who are ignorant of the law,” he said.
“It is planned in such a way that each tonto will immediately inform the
syndicate of the presence of enforcement officers who are patrolling their areas
of operation, and there are also syndicates who confuse our officers by getting
the public to falsely report ‘illegal’ logging,” he said.
The World Bank estimates illegal logging is costing producer country
governments between US$10 billion and US$15 billion a year in lost revenue from
taxes foregone.
ILLEGAL LOGGING STATISTICS
Under Section 15 of the National Forestry Act, 1984 (Amendment 1993) illegal
loggers can be fined up to a maximum of RM500,000 and mandatory imprisonment of
one year minimum and a maximum of 20 years.
It is an offence under this section to take forest produce from the
permanent forest reserved forest or government - owned land without a valid
licence.
According to JPSM statistics, a total of 163 cases of illegal logging were
reported throughout Peninsular Malaysia from 2006 to May this year.
Of the total, 34 cases were reported in 2006; 38 in 2007, 42 in 2008, 30 in
2009 and 19 as at May this year.
Of these, 109 were reported in areas with permanent forest reserve status
and 54 government-owned land.
The department data also showed that 179 have been arrested for illegal
logging between 2006-May 2010, while compounds and compensation from illegal
logging cases amounted to RM11.7 million and 276 units of machines and heavy
equipment were seized during the period.
PUBLIC AND MEDIA PERCEPTION
According to Zahari, there was still misconception among the general
public and the media that all forms of logging were illegal.
“Not all logging activities are illegal. There are licensed logging and
allowed by the law such as in permanent forest reserves based on the principles
of sustainable forest management, and government-owned forest land areas, for
agriculture, development, etc. What is disheartening is when a wrong report
makes headlines in the media, only a small space is given for its correction,”
he said.
Land -- government-owned or given ownership by the government -- developed
for agriculture lies outside the permanent forest areas under the country’s land
use policy. This means up to 50 per cent of the country’s land area can be
developed into various land uses for national development.
Based on the national land use policy, about 25 per cent of the country is
allocated to agriculture and the remaining 25 per cent is for the other uses,
with a minimum 50 per cent already locked in for conservation purposes such as
permanent natural forests.
Media reports on corruption cases involving its forestry officers also gave
a negative perception of the department, and affected the morale of other staff,
he said.
The workcamp also stressed on the need to improve the department’s relations
with the media, he said, noting that the media’s role as an effective platform
to realise its zero illegal logging target, would also be highlighted in the
new action plan.
Integrity of its enforcement officers was also a vital element in the plan,
which focused on attitude, discipline and responsibility, especially in
managing and protecting the national forest heritage, he said.
JPSM’S RESTRUCTURE
To strengthen its forest enforcement, said Zahari, the government had
approved 62 new posts from June 1 2008 under JPSM’s restructure. Of the total,
44 posts were created to beef up its enforcement unit
At the same time, the government has agreed to establish a new unit, the
legal and prosecution unit, with the creation of 18 new posts, and among
others, consisting of legal officers, and the unit provides advice on
investigation and handles prosecution.
Under the revamped department, 18 enforcement officers (investigation) are
assigned to the various states, especially in probing cases related to forest
offences.
“However, due to the economic situation, the government has decided to
freeze all applications for additional enforcement staff and officers at the
states level," he said.
Malaysia experienced the full impact of the global recession which set in
during the third quarter of 2008 and continued into the first quarter of 2009.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) shrank 6.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2009
from a year earlier, after a 0.1 per cent gain the previous three months.
The contraction was the first since 2001 last quarter as exports slumped,
pushing the nation towards its first recession in a decade.
Zahari said, JPSM at its head office, decided to set up an internal
investigation panel to conduct cases of illegal logging, to ascertain whether
there were any cases of negligence or abuse by its staff and officers while
carrying out their duties.
At the same time, he said, the panel will also study the issue and provide
recommendations for improvement which calls for the department’s immediate
action.
However, for corruption cases, the department will leave the matter to the
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to conduct investigations.
RANGERS’ HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY
For the new action plan, the workcamp in Cherating proposed the JPSM ranger
should work as a team and not alone in carrying out its task of protecting the
preserved forest.
According to Zahari, “A ranger has to manage thousands of hectares of forest
reserves, and this certainly takes a heavy toll on him. Not many people know
this.” Peninsular Malaysia is covered by some 4.7 million hectares of permanent
reserves.
To carry out its duties, JPSM’s enforcement unit has 214 full-time staff and
officers, including at the headquarters, with only 37 vehicles in its stable.
“It has been an uphill task for both our men and officers who have to
monitor and control the thick forests as well as the mills. There are 491 main
processing industries in operation,” he said.
This does not include other forest areas, such as government owned forest
land and those owned by both the private sector and individuals.
“These figures speak for themselves,” said Zahari.
Also on JPSM’s radar screen are traditional and downstream timber
industries which use forest products, such as wood as raw material for
processing.
LATEST TECHNOLOGY TO COMBAT ILLEGAL LOGGING
To combat illegal logging, JPSM recognises the importance of high-end
technology in its operation.
The department, he said, had identified Forest Monitoring Remote Sensing
(FMRS), Geographical Information System (GIS), Hyperspectral, Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID), camera trapping and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), to be
widely used in its forest enforcement and management activities.
Todate, technology used is the FMRS, a web-based application using high
resolution satellite images and GIS.
”FMRS is used to monitor any changes occuring in forest areas, including
those which are not easily accessible to vehicles, while helping to prevent
illegal logging,” said Zahari.
Others such as UAV, RFID and camera trapping, he noted, were still in the
experimental stage.
-- BERNAMA
CHERATING (PAHANG), July 16 (Bernama) -- They are trained law enforcement officers and ecologists, and their work demands that they spend long hours alone in the forest.
These men in forest-green uniforms are our very own forest rangers, the
human face of the jungles of Peninsular Malaysia, and who are at the battlefront
against illegal loggers, many of whom are organised syndicates, who plunder the
nation’s forests for selfish gains.
They are Malaysia’s unsung heroes who spend days in the thick forests, with
only the moon to light up their nights and pray that they do not fall prey to
wild beasts, or other creatures of the third kind.
But having close encounters with the wildlife or creatures of the third kind
are not their area of concern, as their chief mission is to ensure that
Malaysia’s pristine natural tropical forests are sustainably managed and
conserved, with illegal logging remaining a major challenge for these rangers.
According to the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM)’s
Director of Forest Enforcement, Zahari Ibrahim, while illegal logging in
Peninsular Malaysia was under control, constituting less than one per cent as
against those allowed by law, it was not sitting on its laurels.
“There are still illegal logging operations which are being conducted in
small patches and organised manner in preserved and remote areas. Our target is
towards zero illegal logging by 2016,” he told Bernama at the Forestry
Department’s workcamp here recently.
TOWARDS ZERO ILLEGAL LOGGING BY 2016
The objective of the workcamp was to conduct a post-mortem and an analysis
into the factors contributing to the occurrence of illegal logging activities
and to review the Action Plan to Combat Illegal Logging in Peninsular Malaysia
(2008-2020).
At the end of the four-day programme from May 24, the department was
expected to formulate an Action Plan (2001-2015), which is more practical, with
the targeted year to rid off illegal logging shortened from 2020 to 2016.
According to Zahari, illegal logging was primarily driven by socio-economic
factors, stimulated by encouraging demand for timber, especially from
timber-based and furniture factories which depended heavily on natural forests.
As a result of depleting resources, these factories had look for alternative
sources to sustain their operations, he said.
Some villagers, he added, took advantage of the situation and chose the easy
route by felling trees in forests which had been gazetted as permanent forest
reserves.
ORGANISED SYNDICATES USING ‘TONTO’
“At present, these illegal logging activities are more organised, with
syndicates managed by those familiar with the forests, using sophisticated
communication system and ‘tonto’ (abetters) to foil operations conducted by our
rangers,” said Zahari.
“They have a strong network, ranging from the tree cutter, who hands over
the logs to the lorry driver who ferries the goods to the buyer. The buyer then
sells the timber to the factory.
“The dilemma we are facing is how to crumble their modus operandi, and it is
rather difficult for us to identify the culprits as there are syndicates who use
children, villagers and Orang Asli folks who are ignorant of the law,” he said.
“It is planned in such a way that each tonto will immediately inform the
syndicate of the presence of enforcement officers who are patrolling their areas
of operation, and there are also syndicates who confuse our officers by getting
the public to falsely report ‘illegal’ logging,” he said.
The World Bank estimates illegal logging is costing producer country
governments between US$10 billion and US$15 billion a year in lost revenue from
taxes foregone.
ILLEGAL LOGGING STATISTICS
Under Section 15 of the National Forestry Act, 1984 (Amendment 1993) illegal
loggers can be fined up to a maximum of RM500,000 and mandatory imprisonment of
one year minimum and a maximum of 20 years.
It is an offence under this section to take forest produce from the
permanent forest reserved forest or government - owned land without a valid
licence.
According to JPSM statistics, a total of 163 cases of illegal logging were
reported throughout Peninsular Malaysia from 2006 to May this year.
Of the total, 34 cases were reported in 2006; 38 in 2007, 42 in 2008, 30 in
2009 and 19 as at May this year.
Of these, 109 were reported in areas with permanent forest reserve status
and 54 government-owned land.
The department data also showed that 179 have been arrested for illegal
logging between 2006-May 2010, while compounds and compensation from illegal
logging cases amounted to RM11.7 million and 276 units of machines and heavy
equipment were seized during the period.
PUBLIC AND MEDIA PERCEPTION
According to Zahari, there was still misconception among the general
public and the media that all forms of logging were illegal.
“Not all logging activities are illegal. There are licensed logging and
allowed by the law such as in permanent forest reserves based on the principles
of sustainable forest management, and government-owned forest land areas, for
agriculture, development, etc. What is disheartening is when a wrong report
makes headlines in the media, only a small space is given for its correction,”
he said.
Land -- government-owned or given ownership by the government -- developed
for agriculture lies outside the permanent forest areas under the country’s land
use policy. This means up to 50 per cent of the country’s land area can be
developed into various land uses for national development.
Based on the national land use policy, about 25 per cent of the country is
allocated to agriculture and the remaining 25 per cent is for the other uses,
with a minimum 50 per cent already locked in for conservation purposes such as
permanent natural forests.
Media reports on corruption cases involving its forestry officers also gave
a negative perception of the department, and affected the morale of other staff,
he said.
The workcamp also stressed on the need to improve the department’s relations
with the media, he said, noting that the media’s role as an effective platform
to realise its zero illegal logging target, would also be highlighted in the
new action plan.
Integrity of its enforcement officers was also a vital element in the plan,
which focused on attitude, discipline and responsibility, especially in
managing and protecting the national forest heritage, he said.
JPSM’S RESTRUCTURE
To strengthen its forest enforcement, said Zahari, the government had
approved 62 new posts from June 1 2008 under JPSM’s restructure. Of the total,
44 posts were created to beef up its enforcement unit
At the same time, the government has agreed to establish a new unit, the
legal and prosecution unit, with the creation of 18 new posts, and among
others, consisting of legal officers, and the unit provides advice on
investigation and handles prosecution.
Under the revamped department, 18 enforcement officers (investigation) are
assigned to the various states, especially in probing cases related to forest
offences.
“However, due to the economic situation, the government has decided to
freeze all applications for additional enforcement staff and officers at the
states level," he said.
Malaysia experienced the full impact of the global recession which set in
during the third quarter of 2008 and continued into the first quarter of 2009.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) shrank 6.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2009
from a year earlier, after a 0.1 per cent gain the previous three months.
The contraction was the first since 2001 last quarter as exports slumped,
pushing the nation towards its first recession in a decade.
Zahari said, JPSM at its head office, decided to set up an internal
investigation panel to conduct cases of illegal logging, to ascertain whether
there were any cases of negligence or abuse by its staff and officers while
carrying out their duties.
At the same time, he said, the panel will also study the issue and provide
recommendations for improvement which calls for the department’s immediate
action.
However, for corruption cases, the department will leave the matter to the
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to conduct investigations.
RANGERS’ HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY
For the new action plan, the workcamp in Cherating proposed the JPSM ranger
should work as a team and not alone in carrying out its task of protecting the
preserved forest.
According to Zahari, “A ranger has to manage thousands of hectares of forest
reserves, and this certainly takes a heavy toll on him. Not many people know
this.” Peninsular Malaysia is covered by some 4.7 million hectares of permanent
reserves.
To carry out its duties, JPSM’s enforcement unit has 214 full-time staff and
officers, including at the headquarters, with only 37 vehicles in its stable.
“It has been an uphill task for both our men and officers who have to
monitor and control the thick forests as well as the mills. There are 491 main
processing industries in operation,” he said.
This does not include other forest areas, such as government owned forest
land and those owned by both the private sector and individuals.
“These figures speak for themselves,” said Zahari.
Also on JPSM’s radar screen are traditional and downstream timber
industries which use forest products, such as wood as raw material for
processing.
LATEST TECHNOLOGY TO COMBAT ILLEGAL LOGGING
To combat illegal logging, JPSM recognises the importance of high-end
technology in its operation.
The department, he said, had identified Forest Monitoring Remote Sensing
(FMRS), Geographical Information System (GIS), Hyperspectral, Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID), camera trapping and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), to be
widely used in its forest enforcement and management activities.
Todate, technology used is the FMRS, a web-based application using high
resolution satellite images and GIS.
”FMRS is used to monitor any changes occuring in forest areas, including
those which are not easily accessible to vehicles, while helping to prevent
illegal logging,” said Zahari.
Others such as UAV, RFID and camera trapping, he noted, were still in the
experimental stage.
-- BERNAMA
